BAN HERBAL APHRODISIACS – Health Professional

By Faustina Yaa Barnie Appiah

April 26, 2022. Accra: A public health professional has called on government to urgently ban all herbal aphrodisiacs such as kayan mata. She says they are harmful to users and can destabilize a person, or worse, lead to addiction.  Dela Tamakloe, a senior staff at Serenity Support Services made this call in an interview yesterday on #ItalLiving, a weekly program about the intersection of luxury and wellness on #Afronovaradio at AUCC.

Tamakloe said the dosage of such herbal concoctions are unknown and they have no expiration dates.

“These sex supplements are not recommended for medical use since they lack specific dosages or Food and Drug Authority approval”.

According to Tamakloe, the work of public health professionals is to focus on preventing disease and injury by promoting healthy lifestyles. They implement educational programs, develop policies, administer services, conduct research, and regulate health systems to achieve these goals.

Kayan mata is a popular aphrodisiac from Nigeria’s northern regions. In Hausa, ‘Kayan’ means ‘property’ or ‘equipment’; ‘Mata’ refers to ‘lady’ or ‘husband’.

According to Tamakloe, “these herbs can harm the kidneys and lead to renal failure. Because there are no dosage instructions on the product, it is possible to overdose without realizing it. Kayan Mata is not medically regulated. No one knows what chemicals are running through the body. These herbs may have hazardous compounds and heavy metals and may cause kidney failure or liver damage. The ostensible benefits of kayan mata are not worth jeopardizing your liver and/or kidney.”

Madam Munira and other vendors at Makola Market stand by their products. She said she’s been selling the herbs for nearly a decade and that no one has ever complained or provided her any negative feedback. She says kayan mata is popular because consumers believe it tightens the vagina walls and makes sex sweeter for men.

“Kayan mata is the hottest thing in town right now. In order to attract and keep wealthy guys, many women increasingly frequent us for the stuff.”

Kayan mata comes in two forms: mata zuman and gindin-ayu. For mata zuman, honey is used to make a concoction that is rubbed into the elastic fibers that make the vaginal walls causing the vagina to tighten. This is believed to enhance friction and pleasure especially for men during sexual intercourse. Mata zuman is also said to help lubricate the vaginal canal.

Gindin-ayu is a libido booster for both men and women. It’s said to be made from a combination of the sperm of the rare Ayu (or sweetfish – Plecoglossus altivelis) and milk. Women sexual arousal disorder and men with erectile dysfunction consume this combination.

“These are pure herbs, and the bible even recommends eating the fruit and using the leaves for healing. This is medicine; it is not harmful to anyone. It helps couples and makes their marriages last longer”, says Munira.  She said she lost her libido after the birth of her third child and had no pleasure in sex. “I started using some of these medicines, and it really helped me sustain my marriage”.