There seems to be a new sex trend among college students – using “honey packs” for intercourse … [+]
Oh, honey, is this really something you should take? There seems to be a new sexual trend among college students – the use of “honey packs” for sexual enhancement. The buzz behind this practice is evident in a TikTok video by @asuchicks that already has over 400,000 views. In the video, the interviewer asks students at Arizona State University, “What is something at ASU that would send a BYU student into a coma?” And two of the guys interviewed mention this honey packet thing, with the second even saying, “All these damn honey packets.” In fact, the second son estimated he gets four of them a night and 28 a week. Yes, you heard that right—28.
Here is the TikTok post:
Honey packs may contain drugs for erectile dysfunction
This is a sticky situation because it’s hard to tell what’s actually in these honey packets. Apparently it’s not just honey. Otherwise, you might see a lot more people getting excited after eating baklava – excited in more of an “I’m eating baklava, and it’s delicious” kind of way, that is. The concern is that these packages of honey, which can be purchased online and at various retail stores such as gas stations and liquor stores, may contain various unregulated pharmaceutical ingredients.
For example, in 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about the product VIP Royal Honey containing a hidden drug ingredient. That hidden ingredient was tadalafil. Tadalafil is the active ingredient in Cialis. And while Cialis is an FDA-approved drug specifically for erectile dysfunction, it’s not something that should be used by college students in general to up their game, so to speak.
And on July 27, 2022, I wrote about Forbes about four other companies receive warning letters from the FDA for placing unregulated and possibly even undeclared ED medications in their honey-based products. At the time, I cautioned that before receiving any honey-based product, check your package—meaning the box, container, or whatever else the product may have come in—to make sure the product wasn’t one of who had received a warning letter from the FDA.
Honey packs that have such ED medications carry risks
Such ED medications are not without their potential side effects and risks. You may have seen those pharmaceutical commercials that show a group of smiling people set to some kind of soothing music while a voice reads off the list of warnings and possible side effects. Now, most people who take such medications for ED may experience no side effects or only minor ones such as headaches, upset stomachs, muscle aches or stuffy noses. But there have been much less common cases of more serious side effects such as hearing problems, dizziness, ringing in the ears, significant changes in blood pressure and allergic reaction.
Then there’s the whole standard warning of an erection lasting more than four hours. That’s when you worry about priapism, a prolonged and painful erection where blood doesn’t flow in and out of your penis. This is a medical emergency, assuming a body part is near and dear to you.
Plus, you have no idea how many of these remedies may be in honey packets and whether they are safely prepared. Packages for ED medications usually don’t say, “Take as much as you want.” Such medications are not like Skittles.
Additionally, various ED medications can interact with certain blood pressure and heart medications and antibiotics. There are also potential interactions with grapefruit juice and alcohol separately. But no college student has ever mixed sex and alcohol, right?
Therefore, unless it is necessary, it is best to avoid using ED medications unless you really have ED. And even if you have ED, medication may not be necessary. The situation may be temporary. For example, you may be under stress, be in a rather cold room, or have it Law and Order The theme song of the TV show plays in the background. In general, it’s best to discuss your foot situation with a doctor before jumping into any medication solution.
Why do college students take sexual enhancement products like honey packs?
All of this raises a bigger question: why do college students feel the need to take something for sexual enhancement? Indeed, one study showed that 8% of men in their 20s and 11% of men in their 30s suffer from ED. So, there are probably not a small number of college students who deal with ED. However, that may not be enough to prompt the casual mention of college students taking sexual enhancement products seen on TikTok.
The assumption is that the first two guys in the video didn’t want to basically tell the world that they have ED. Chances are, instead, college students are taking sexual enhancement products to measure some sort of expectation when it comes to sex. But are such expectations too high or too difficult to achieve, so to speak? Is there an unrealistic expectation that an erection should be like a streaming movie – available on demand?
If you’re worried that your partner might be disappointed by what you naturally have to offer, then maybe it’s time for an open and honest conversation. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you find. Instead of consuming a packet of honey, maybe all your partner wants is to be called something like “honey” a little more often.