Opinion: Are Ghanaian men impotent?
For some time now, I have observed with trepidation the nauseating trend on television and radio about the outpour of adverts on aphrodisiacs and the way these drugs and herbal preparations are portrayed to be the wonder pill for a ‘dying’ soul.
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Anytime I have reflected on this new sensation, I have wondered how the manufacturers of these drugs, especially the indigenous ones, have suddenly decided to play on the psychology of Ghanaian men, especially those above 50 years, as well as young adults, that without sex enhancement drugs there is no way they could satisfy their female partners.
There is that general feeling among men that one’s performance is always enhanced by the aid of these drugs. There are some men who have genuine sexual challenges and therefore are unable to perform their conjugal functions.
It is this kind of perception, born out of comments some of the female partners of these men make, that drive them to seek refuge in aphrodisiacs which the manufacturers also take advantage of.
They capitalise on the perceived weakness of these men during sexual encounters and produce these drugs and medical preparations with the false impression that they could restore the potency of the men with such weakness.
Naturally, as men, as well as women, advance in age, certain things they used to do with vigour must be done with caution because of the sagging energy which is caused through the depletion of some cells, as well as the inability of the body to replace these damaged cells.
There are times that when one listens to these adverts on radio or watch them on television it makes one feel as if most of the men in this country are impotent and need energy-inducing drugs to be able to have sex with their spouses.
It is against this background that some cunning drug manufacturers have taken advantage of the situation and developed herbal preparation purported to help men suffering from erectile dysfunction.
I have no problem with issues such as this but the disgusting way these products are advertised on radio and television and the sort of language used leave much to be desired.
Worst of all, these products are advertised during prime time when the nuclear family has gathered around the television to listen to major news bulletins or is engrossed in one of its favourite television programmes including the telenovelas which have become the in-thing.
One would expect that people with challenges like erectile dysfunction need help; but do they have to deal with such problems through self-medication or through the advice of specialists?
We are threading on dangerous path and the earlier something was done about this issue the better.
What saddens me is the portrayal of women who are normally used in these adverts as the most insatiable lot unless their men subscribe to those kinds of aphrodisiacs.
Interestingly, the women after they had shown their frustration over the under-performance of their men quickly show maximum satisfaction after their men had been aided by sexual enhancement herbal preparation and aphrodisiacs.
The way these drug manufacturers and their marketers are handling their adverts in the media is rather appalling and its time something was done about it.
My information is that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), which oversees the wholesomeness and quality of all kinds of foods and beverages, both imported as well as the locally manufactured, is shirking its responsibilities by allowing these ‘drug peddlers’ to have a field day.
There are clear regulations on how and what to do with products and how they should be marketed and advertised in the media. Some products have been prohibited by law not to be advertised on radio or television.
However, there are serious violations and people have shown total disregard for the law.
Ghana is not a lawless state where people could engage in illegalities.
It’s time the regulator stamped its authority and activate the laws governing the advertisements of aphrodisiac and other sex-enhancing drugs, to save our children and other innocent ones from being corrupted.
