The quest for an increased genital size drives sex stimulant abuse among male subjects in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED), the use of sex stimulants, the motivation behind the use of sex stimulants and sexual satisfaction with or without the use of sex stimulants among male subjects in Calabar, Nigeria.MethodsMale subjects aged 15–74 years were recruited for this study. Exclusion criteria was employed to eliminate responses of subjects who have had no prior engagement in any sexual activity, and were currently having sex less than 4 times a month. After applying the exclusion criteria, 2 010 respondents were obtained.ResultsOut of the 2 010 subjects, 11 were illiterates (0.5%), 605 (30.1%) had primary education, 1 317 (65.5%) had secondary education, 50 (2.5%) were undergraduates and 27 (1.3%) had post graduate education. Out of the 2 010 respondents, 45 (2.2%) had knowledge of the causes of ED while 1 965 (97.8%) were ignorant of the causes of ED. Fifty one respondents (2.5%) were currently suffering ED, while 1 959 (97.5%) had no history of ED. A significant (P < 0.001) positive correlation (0.531) between age and incidence of ED was observed. Forty one (2%) respondents had never and were currently not using sex stimulants, while 1 969 (98%) were currently using sex stimulants. Out of the 2 010 respondents, 1 745 (86.8%) used sex stimulants to increase their genital size, of which 1 622 (92.9%) were aged 15–34 years.ConclusionThe incidence of ED in Calabar, Nigeria, increases with increasing age. Although the respondents between the ages of 15–34 years had the least incidence of ED, this age group used sex stimulants the most following their perceived beneficial effect in increasing genital size.