By Lottie Tiplady-Bishop
July 3 2020, 10.25
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Sales of male enhancement drugs have skyrocketed by 400 per cent during lockdown.
Experts think the uptick is representative of an already present trend – particularly prevalent in young men experimenting in the bedroom.
Figures from male enhancement drug company Male Extra show sales of their supplements increased from £2,000 to £3,000 in January to up to £10,000 around April 20 – almost one month after Boris Johnson announced lockdown.
Dr Earim Choudry, medical director of men’s health site Manual said: “The last few weeks of lockdown will have provided men ample time to reflect on their sex lives.
“Lockdown has given many couples the chance to engage more frequently in sex.
“For many people, this rise in activity will have prompted some men to confront issues of low libido that have plagued them for some time.
“With a busy schedule these problems are easier to ignore. Months locked up indoors, however, may have made them harder to overlook.”
Male Extra’s product claims to “improve erection size and strength and intensify orgasms,” and sales of the enhancement drugs have boomed – with men aged 25-34 responsible for the biggest rise, at 28.78 per cent.
And London saw the most purchases accounting for just over half of all of Male Extra’s sales at 50.75 per cent, followed by Birmingham at 4.19 per cent and Bristol, which accounted for 1.65 per cent.
In the UK, England had the most sales overall at 77.5%, but data showed Scottish men accounted for 20.11 per cent of sales – despite having a population roughly 11 times smaller than England.
Sexperts think that while figures show an increase in sales throughout lockdown, the boom is representative of an already existing trend.
It’s thought younger men – although theoretically less likely to suffer problems like loss of libido, erectile dysfunction and a lack of confidence in the bedroom – are becoming more comfortable with discussing their sex lives with their partners, and are now much happier to switch things up.
Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy says lockdown has provided men with the perfect opportunity to experiment, buying discreetly online and with more time on their hands to appreciate the affects of male enhancement drugs.
Dr Lee said: “[These types of] drugs lend themselves to an online purchase as you can fill in a questionnaire online and avoid an embarrassing consultation.
“They arrive within 48 hours in discrete packaging. Men often find this very convenient.”
She also pointed to a rise in sales of Viagra, with one Nottingham pharmacy seeing a 34% increase in purchases of the little blue pill since February, according to The Business Desk.
But it’s more likely that younger men are looking to explore in the bedroom, rather than tackle an existing “issue”.
Dr Chaudry points to the use of natural testosterone supplements – usually containing ingredients like Zing, Maca and Ginseng – which he says have “found a new, younger audience”.
The men’s health doc said: “Scientists have struggled to link the rise in young men buying viagra (and related supplements) to any underlying health conditions.
“It could be that the rise in sales is a sign that increasing numbers of young men are experiencing low libido.”
However, he added: “Other leading sexual health experts have put Viagra’s newfound younger audience down to sexual experimentation, with anecdotal evidence suggesting that the drug is being used as a bedroom enhancer, rather than a cure for erectile dysfunction.
“Supplements won’t cure erectile dysfunction but they will help maintain healthy levels of testosterone – the key to keeping a high libido.”
Dr Chaudry concluded: “Whatever the reason, it’s safe to say Viagra and testosterone supplements are becoming increasingly normalised among young men.
“As with many areas of life, lockdown has simply exaggerated and accelerated a hidden, but already present trend.”
