Publication:

Herbal aphrodisiac use among male adolescents and teenagers in a rural area of Blantyre district, Malawi

Background This study was carried out to investigate traditional herbal aphrodisiacs use among teenagers and adolescents in Blantyre rural, Malawi.

Methods The study was carried out in villages under Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre rural, Malawi. A total of 212 teenagers and adolescents participated in this study. A structured questionnaire was administered to participants for data collection.

Results The study found that 65% of the teenagers and adolescents who took part in this study were using traditional herbal aphrodisiacs. Most of them were introduced to aphrodisiacs use by their friends.

Conclusions This study has shown that many adolescents and teenagers are using traditional herbal aphrodisiacs and that the prescription is not done by an experienced traditional healer. Therefore there is need to sensitize the youths on proper ways of using these herbal medicines.