How pressure to perform is pushing men towards risky enhancement products
By Albangus
It was Sunday, and I sat in church listening to the sermon. The man of God spoke about changing sexual behaviour and the growing pressure among men to prove their strength and masculinity. He was particularly concerned about men—especially older men—using sexual-enhancement drugs and unregulated substances to engage in what is popularly called a “sexual marathon.”
The congregation listened. Some smiled nervously, while others remained silent. Beneath the humour, however, was a serious public-health issue deserving national attention.
In Sierra Leone, conversations about sexual performance are often held privately, among friends, in homes, entertainment centres and increasingly on social media. Tablets, herbal mixtures, honey sachets, energy drinks and other products are marketed as solutions for improving sexual strength and endurance.
Some may be legitimate medicines. Others may be unregistered, falsified, improperly labelled or contain ingredients unknown to consumers. Sierra Leone does not appear to have comprehensive national statistics establishing the scale of their misuse. That absence of reliable data should encourage investigation, not complacency.
The pressure to perform
Society often measures male strength through sexual endurance. Men may boast about how many times they can have sex or how long they can perform. Such claims are often exaggerated, but they can create pressure to compete.
Younger men may feel pressure from peers, pornography and social media, while older men may fear that ageing or reduced sexual performance represents weakness.
This insecurity has created a market for products promising stronger erections, delayed ejaculation, renewed youthfulness and extraordinary stamina. Some are purchased from pharmacies, while others are obtained through informal vendors, markets, shops, entertainment centres and online sellers.
The danger is not simply the existence of sexual-enhancement medicines, but their use without proper medical assessment. Consumers may not know what they are taking, how much they are taking or whether the product can safely interact with other medicines.
Sex is not a sporting competition, and masculinity should not be measured by endurance. Healthy relationships depend on communication, mutual respect, consent and responsibility.
The Engonga effect
The pressure surrounding extraordinary sexual performance became particularly visible following the 2024 scandal involving Baltasar Ebang Engonga, a senior public official in Equatorial Guinea.
Intimate videos allegedly involving Engonga and several women were leaked and widely circulated online, generating international debate about privacy, morality and public conduct. Some social-media users, however, turned the scandal into jokes and portrayed Engonga as a symbol of exceptional sexual strength.
There is no verified evidence that Engonga used sexual-enhancement drugs, and this article does not suggest that he did.
The concern is the culture of imitation that viral content can create. Men should not risk their health trying to reproduce performances seen in leaked videos, pornography or social media. Such material may be edited, staged or otherwise misleading.
Treatment versus misuse
Sildenafil, commonly associated with Viagra, and tadalafil, associated with Cialis, are recognised medicines used to treat erectile dysfunction when appropriately prescribed.
The danger arises when such medicines are used recreationally, taken in excessive quantities or combined with other substances without medical advice.
Erectile dysfunction can sometimes be associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney problems, hormonal disorders, anxiety and stress. A sexual-performance problem may therefore be a warning sign of an underlying health condition.
Instead of secretly buying pills, men experiencing persistent problems should consult qualified health professionals.
Younger and older men face risks
Older men may face additional risks because chronic illnesses and multiple medications become more common with age. Some erectile-dysfunction medicines can interact dangerously with nitrate medicines used for certain heart conditions, potentially causing a severe fall in blood pressure.
Younger men are not automatically safe. Undiagnosed health conditions, excessive doses and combinations with alcohol, stimulants or other substances can also cause harmful reactions. Repeated recreational use may create psychological dependence, making a person believe that sexual performance is impossible without a particular product.
The danger of “natural” products
In Sierra Leone, herbal and traditional remedies are widely trusted. But “natural” does not automatically mean safe.
International regulators have warned that some sexual-enhancement products have contained undisclosed pharmaceutical ingredients. In July 2026, the United States Food and Drug Administration reported finding undeclared sildenafil and tadalafil in certain sexual-enhancement honey and capsule products.
These findings do not prove that every sexual-enhancement product sold in Sierra Leone contains hidden medicines. They do, however, demonstrate why consumers should be cautious about products whose ingredients, dosage and quality cannot be verified.
Sierra Leone needs stronger action
The Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone and other relevant authorities should strengthen surveillance of sexual-enhancement products sold through pharmacies, markets, informal shops and online platforms.
Authorities should investigate products being marketed without proper registration, labelling or professional oversight. Hospitals and clinics should also be encouraged to document adverse reactions suspected to be linked to these products.
The government should support national research to establish how widespread their use is, which age groups are most affected, what products are commonly consumed and whether misuse is contributing to medical emergencies.
Public education is equally important. Churches, mosques, community organisations and health workers can help challenge misinformation about masculinity and sexual endurance. Education should be available in Krio and other local languages so that consumers understand the difference between medically supervised treatment and potentially dangerous products.
No performance is worth a life
This is not simply a question of morality. It is a question of health, consumer protection and responsible regulation in Sierra Leone.
Men should not be pressured into treating sex as an endurance competition. Younger men do not need drugs to prove their masculinity, while older men should not feel ashamed of natural changes associated with ageing.
People experiencing sexual-health problems should seek professional medical advice and purchase medicines only from licensed sources. Unknown or unregistered products should be avoided, and medicines should not be mixed with other substances without professional guidance.
The message from the pulpit should now become part of a wider national public-health conversation.
No sexual performance is worth dying for.
