IN THE streets, the pursuit of pleasure and perfection has become a recipe for disaster, as unregistered medicines, including libido-boosting pills, are consumed by unsuspecting victims.
Despite efforts by authorities to crack down on the illegal sales, the demand for these products remains high, with some driven by societal pressure and misconceptions about their safety and efficacy. Illegal medicine vendors have flooded the streets of Harare, particularly in the central district (CBD), offering a range of products, including sex-enhancers, skin-lightening creams and unregulated cosmetics.
The most sought-after out products are sex enhancers. Some of the illegal sex-enhancement pills mostly sold on the black market, include 7 hours, blue diamond, vuka-vuka and men gel, among others. Traditionally, there is guchu/imbiza, a sexenhancing gourd.
According to a Harare urologist, Christopher Meki, a rise in use of drug and substance abuse such as crystal meth has resulted in a growing demand for libido pills as individuals struggle with erectile dysfunction caused by drug addiction.
“The devastating consequences of drug and substance abuse are far-reaching, and one of the alarming trends we are seeing is the surge in demand for libido pills.
“The erectile dysfunction caused by substance abuse, particularly with drugs like crystal meth, is a stark reminder of the destructive power of addiction,” Meki said.
“As a urologist, it’s heart-breaking to see young lives derailed by the pursuit of fleeting highs, only to be left with lasting damage to their health and well-being.”
He warned against the buying of libido pills from unauthorised sources, saying it can lead to serious health issues which include persistent erections, liver and kidney failures.
“Purchase of sex-enhancing pills and other traditional medicines from unverified sources poses significant health risks that can be life threatening, especially to patients with underlying conditions like heart ailments.
“We have come across patients with erections that would not go down, a dreadful condition called priapism. Some men have experienced kidney failure because these bugs have got many compounds which are very toxic,” the urologist said.
“Most people are not aware that taking sex-enhancing pills can lead to a sudden and extreme increase in blood flow, which can put excessive strain on the heart, potentially causing it to fail and resulting in collapse or even death.
“Therefore, it is essential to undergo a thorough medical screening before using such medications to ensure safety and minimize risks.”
He also revealed that some vendors were secretly lacing traditional medicines, guchu/imbiza, with crushed sex-enhancement pills, driven by financial greediness. Guchu/imbiza, a mixture of herbs with a long history of traditional use, is being exploited by vendors, putting lives at risk.
“I am concerned about the herb called guchu, a mixture of different herbs, roots or barks put in a five-litre bottle, that was traditionally known for cleansing the reproductive system and boosting libido. Traditionally, guchu has been a natural and effective remedy for boosting libido because of an ingredient in the bark that stimulates erection. “However, some unscrupulous vendors are actually mixing unknown sex-enhancing pills with a mixture of barks, roots and water to misrepresent it to customers as the authentic guchu.
I have come across people who fall very sick after taking the herbs,” Meki revealed. “It is sad that some men have fallen victims of this scam because of their desperation to improve their sexual performance.” Meki said some people are often forced to seek remedies from the streets because of fear of judgment or stigmatisation as well as high cost of treatment at legitimate medical facilities.
“Men often turn to street vendors for affordable medication, partly due to the intimidating experience of buying from legitimate sources like pharmacies, where they’re asked many questions. “Sadly, many men lack the confidence to openly discuss their health concerns in these settings,” he expressed concern.
“Also, the drug market has two original manufacturers of sex enhancing drugs which are relatively expensive. Sex enhancing pills like Sildenafil and Cialis can cost as much as US$60 and Viagra can cost an average of US$25 per pill.
“Whereas in the black market, you will find sex-enhancing pills costing from US$1 to US$3 and the danger is that there are no regulatory procedures to authenticate the origins of these medications. It is important to note that there is no production of sex-enhancing pills by any company in Zimbabwe. Those that come into the country, some of them would have been smuggled,” Meki added.
Meki urged people to seek medical treatment, emphasising that erectile dysfunction is purely a medical condition. “The community, both men and women, should know that they don’t need to put themselves under pressure to meet societal demands without putting their health first.
“I would like to reiterate that erectile dysfunction is a medical condition and one should approach a health practitioner of his/ her choice for assistance.
“Alternatively, rather than resorting to risky remedies, I recommend people to seek family or couple counselling to address issues.” Authorities say they are working overnight to stop the selling of unauthorised sex-enhancing drugs on the streets. “The sale of unregistered and un-approved medicines in the streets has been a concern for us as the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (Mcaz).
These products put the life of the public in danger because their safety is not guaranteed. “Some of these medicines, we don’t even know their dosages, how they were manufactured, how they were transported and chances of them containing harmful substances are very high,” Mcaz public relations officer Davison Kaiyo told the Daily News on Sunday.
Kaiyo said efforts to curb the sale of the unregistered drugs on the streets are being frustrated by the people the organisation is trying to protect, consumers who are driving the demand for the illegal products. “There is a misconception that these products can work and give desired results. The major challenge that we face now is that there is demand for these products from the streets.
“To disguise the police, the vendors are displaying empty cartons and when our inspectors or monitoring persons reach them, they will not find anything except for empty containers that will have been displayed. The vendors are using a strategy to go where they would have hidden these products once they find a customer.
“That becomes problematic in terms of us carrying out our enforcement activities that are there,” he said. Mcaz, together with the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Drugs and Narcotics Division, conduct routine inspections and raids.
“However, most of the operations that we carry out are generally successful. “You find that quite a number of perpetrators are then referred for prosecution whilst some are fined, and some are jailed, depending on the severity of the case,” Kaiyo added.
“The public should desist from buying medicines from the streets or from unlicensed premises, because it is providing a market for this.” He further highlighted that Mcaz has started carrying out a number of awareness campaigns in order to educate the public.
“We do public awareness campaigns where we reach out to members of the public, we speak to them, try to educate them about the dangers of buying medicines from the streets or from unlicensed premises. “If only members of the public could heed to our call, I’m sure, working together, we will achieve the goal of curbing the scourge of the sale of illegal medicines in the streets,” Kaiyo said.
On his part, 66-year-old Harare resident, Gibson Gandare said people should rather explore traditional ways to cure sexual ailments.
“We should revisit our traditional practices which have been effective for generations. “We didn’t worry about health issues growing up. Our grandparents would give us herbs to cure anything using barks, tree leaves or roots.
“It’s disturbing that the younger generation has rejected our traditional practices and now associate herbs with witchcraft,” he said, adding that Africans must learn to embrace their culture. However, others, like Lovemore Banda, believe societal pressure drives demand for unregistered medicines, especially sex enhancers.
“Sexual expectations in African societies put immense pressure on individuals, especially men, to meet unrealistic standards. “Men are now prioritising to meet societal expectations over their own well-being,” Banda said.
“I’m pleading with authorities to deal with individuals who are smuggling these products. “The young generation is being destroyed by the products,” said the disturbed Banda.