School of Graduate Studies, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong.
Institute of Policy Studies, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 27;19(11):6521. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19116521.
The use and sale of sexual enhancement drugs (particularly unapproved aphrodisiacs) have become a public health concern in Ghana and many other sub-Saharan African countries. While most studies have examined this phenomenon from the level of individual perspectives, this study investigates the multi-dimensional and multi-level factors (e.g., individual characteristics and behaviours, interpersonal factors, community norms and practices, institutional and public policy factors) that influence attitudes, perceptions, and use of aphrodisiacs among men and women in Ghana. Using a concurrent mixed-method design, we derived the data from a semi-structured interview and cross-sectional survey conducted across five administrative regions in Ghana. Interpretative phenomenological analysis and logistic regression techniques were used to analyse the qualitative and quantitative (survey) data, respectively. Approximately 12.6% of participants (17.6% among males and 7.2% among females) had used an aphrodisiac in the six months prior to the study. Approximately 23.4% of the participants had more than one partner during the same period. Among men, being religious (B = −0.238, p < 0.05) and having multiple sexual partners (B = 0.481, p < 0.01) were positively associated with the use of aphrodisiacs. For women, being employed (B = −1.539, p < 0.01), engaging in physical activities (exercising) (B = −0.658, p < 0.05), having good health (B = 0.869, p < 0.05), having multiple sexual partners (B = 1.191, p < 0.01), and taking alcohol (B = 1.041, p < 0.01) were associated with use of aphrodisiacs. Although many participants had used aphrodisiacs, women, in particular, held unfavourable views about the drugs due to perceived negative health implications for themselves and their partners. The findings also show that community-level factors (e.g., social norms and expectations), interpersonal factors (e.g., expectations of partners and friends), public policy (e.g., drug-related regulations), and organisational/institutional factors (e.g., health system arrangements about access and use of drugs) were critical to the sale and use of aphrodisiacs among both men and women in Ghana. A multi-level analysis of the use of sexual enhancement drugs among men and women is crucial to formulating social and public health policies that aim to improve public knowledge of these drugs, reduce uncontrolled production, and protect population health and well-being.
在加纳和许多撒哈拉以南非洲国家，性增强药物（特别是未经批准的壮阳药）的使用和销售已成为公共卫生关注的问题。虽然大多数研究都从个人角度考察了这一现象，但本研究从多维和多层次的角度（如个人特征和行为、人际关系因素、社区规范和实践、机构和公共政策因素）调查了影响加纳男女对壮阳药的态度、看法和使用的因素。本研究采用并行混合方法设计，从加纳五个行政区进行的半结构式访谈和横断面调查中获取数据。解释性现象学分析和逻辑回归技术分别用于分析定性和定量（调查）数据。大约 12.6%的参与者（男性为 17.6%，女性为 7.2%）在研究前六个月内使用过壮阳药。大约 23.4%的参与者在同一时期有多个性伴侣。在男性中，信仰宗教（B =-0.238，p<0.05）和有多个性伴侣（B =0.481，p<0.01）与使用壮阳药呈正相关。对于女性，就业（B =-1.539，p<0.01）、身体活动（锻炼）（B =-0.658，p<0.05）、身体健康（B =0.869，p<0.05）、有多个性伴侣（B =1.191，p<0.01）和饮酒（B =1.041，p<0.01）与使用壮阳药有关。尽管许多参与者使用了壮阳药，但特别是女性对这些药物持有不利的看法，因为她们认为这些药物对自己和伴侣的健康有负面影响。研究结果还表明，社区层面的因素（如社会规范和期望）、人际关系因素（如伴侣和朋友的期望）、公共政策（如与药物有关的法规）以及组织/机构因素（如卫生系统关于获取和使用药物的安排）对加纳男女使用壮阳药至关重要。对男女使用性增强药物进行多层次分析对于制定旨在提高公众对这些药物的认识、减少不受控制的生产以及保护人口健康和福祉的社会和公共卫生政策至关重要。
