VIAGRA may be the new mantra for the sexually 'depressed' male, but Indians have long had an impressive arsenal of libido-enhancers that allegedly do more than keep the 'Male Ego', as one of them is christened, erect. Ayurvedic in origin, they are exempt from the clinical trials that western brands go through before they can hit the market. For, their proponents argue, they are time-tested hand-me-downs of ancient medical wisdom.
Most of these preparations claim to exploit the rejuvenating properties of famed ancient herbs, such as shilajit, swar-nabhasm, and ashwagandha. Colourfully christened—Me Only, 303, Stud, Bull, Spy, Climax, Rasayani, Mohini, 30 Plus, Rathi, to name a few of a hundred available—they're between Rs 50-300 for 30 capsules. Most claim to be sexual panaceas. Rathi, for instance, claims it can cure impotence, poor sperm count and menopausal symptoms. A course of 60 capsules costs Rs 150. Probably the most prescribed ayurvedic sex potions are Himalayan Drug Company's Tentex forte, an alleged cure for sexual inertia, and Hymcolin cream, a precoital erection-trigger.
These Kama boosters are no longer the preserve of the hakims. Ayurvedic giants like Dabur and Zandu have come up with aggressively-advertised, slickly-packaged brands: the market for sex elixirs is guesstimated to be Rs 50 crore. And gourmets Jiggs Kalra and Pushpesh Pant plan pakwans spiked with herbs that'll fire the loins of the sexually challenged at a 10-day Mumbai fest next month. Practitioners of modern medicine, however, say these are mere placebos. So, why do they sell? Says Achal Bhagat, psychiatrist at Apollo Hospital: "Out of ignorance and false propaganda. They use them till they realise they've been had. Then they turn to us." Mira Shiva of the Voluntary Health Association of India differs: "It seems a conspiracy to keep indigenous medicine out of the market. Researchers haven't tried to establish the truth about traditional medicines.
Nor has there been a government attempt to set standards for their manufacture." Yet, Dr Narayana Reddy, a Hyderabad sexologist, believes Viagra won't dislodge the quacks who address the psychological aspects of sexuality." Argues Bhagat: "Viagra isn't a sex elixir. It's for a specific clinical disease: erectile dysfunction. Where the cause is psychological, it may not work."
And that leaves room for play.
