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."
