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The Times of India
The Times of India
National
Niyati Parikh | TNN

Covid stress: Sale of drugs for sexual stimulation up 72% in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Stress and duress triggered by Covid-19 pandemic seems to have lingering effects. Even when Covid cases remain rather muted, the prolonged impact of stress on libido has sent the sales of sexual stimulants and rejuvenation drugs skyrocketing. In fact, data compiled by All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD)-AWACS revealed that Gujarat recorded a 72% spike in sale of drugs in this category in June 2022 as compared to the corresponding month in the previous year.

Chemists and druggists attribute this spike in sales to unrelenting stress people continue to experience since the pandemic. Jashvant Patel, president, Federation of Gujarat State Chemists and Druggists' Association (FGSCDA), said, "During the two years of Covid-19, all sectors underwent many disruptions. The uncertainty of work from home, medical emergencies, and financial stress had a comined adverse impact on people's sexual health. This has triggered growing uptakes for over-the-counter as well as prescription-based medication to improve sexual function."

According to AIOCD-AWACS, sale of drugs for sexual stimulation and rejuvenation,grew from Rs 2.06 crore in June 2021 to Rs 3.55 crore in June 2022.

'Self-medication pushing sales'

According to AIOCD-AWACS, sale of drugs for sexual stimulation and rejuvenation, largely sildenafil citrate and tadalafil along with herbal and ayurvedic medicines, grew from Rs 2.06 crore in June 2021 to Rs 3.55 crore in June 2022. According to the data, the growth has been roughly around 10-20% in the previous years in a given month except for the year 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Medical practitioners said that tendency of many to self-medicate and pop pills purely out of performance pressure could be pushing sales.

Dr Paras Shah, an Ahmedabad-based sexual health expert, said, "With imposing of social distancing, many couples had stopped engaging in sexual activity completely. Moreover, there was a lot of stress associated with Covid-19, the overall uncertainty of the pandemic situation and at individual family level as well. As a consequence, many found themselves struggling in the bedroom. Many men even consulted us for premature ejaculation. This is likely to have led them to turn to easily available over-the-counter pills in hope of performing better."

Among other categories of medicines which showed a significant spike in sales include antineoplastics (used to treat cancer patients), gynaecological issues, vaccines and pain relief medicines.

Drugs used to treat cancer showed a sizable 41.3% growth in sales from Rs 4.19 crore to Rs 5.92 crore, during the period.

Growing awareness about early diagnosis and detection during pandemic propelled the sales of drugs in the antineoplastics category, often used to treat cancer patients.

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