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There seems to be a new sex trend among college students: the use of “honey bags” for sexual purposes … [+]
Oh, honey, is this really something you should take? There seems to be a new sex trend among college students: the use of ‘honey bags’ for sexual enhancement. This buzz behind this practice is clearly visible throughout a TikTok video from @asuchickswhich has already been viewed more than 400,000 times. In the video, the interviewer asks Arizona State University students, “What is something at ASU that would put a BYU student in a coma?” And two of the guys interviewed mention this honey bag thing, with the second even saying, “All those damn honey bags.” The second man even estimated that he takes four a night and 28 a week. Yes, you heard that right: 28.
Here’s the TikTok post:
Honey packets may contain erectile dysfunction medications
This is a tricky situation because it is difficult to tell what is actually in these honey bags. Presumably it’s not just honey. Otherwise, you might see many more people getting excited after eating baklava—excited in more than an “I’m eating baklava, and it’s delicious” kind of way. The concern is that these honey packets, which can be purchased online and at various stores such as gas stations and liquor stores, may contain various pharmaceutical ingredients in an unregulated manner.
For example, in 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning about the Royal Honey VIP product containing a hidden drug ingredient. That hidden ingredient was tadalafil. Tadalafil is the active ingredient in Cialis. And while Cialis is a drug approved by the FDA specifically for erectile dysfunction, it’s not something that should be used by college students in general to simply improve their game, so to speak.
And on July 27, 2022 I wrote for Forbes another four companies are getting warning letters from the FDA for putting unregulated and perhaps even undeclared ED drugs in their honey-based products. At the time, I warned that before taking honey-based products, check the packaging (i.e. the box, container, or whatever the product came in) to make sure the product was not one of for which a warning had been received. letters from the FDA.
Honey packs containing such ED drugs come with risks
Such ED medications are not without their potential side effects and risks. You may have seen those pharmaceutical commercials where a bunch of smiling people turn on some kind of soothing music while a voice reads out the list of warnings and side effects that can occur. For most people who use such medications for erectile dysfunction, side effects may be absent or minor, such as headaches, upset stomach, muscle aches, or nasal congestion. But there have been cases of more serious side effects, such as hearing problems, dizziness, tinnitus, significant blood pressure changes and allergic reactions. Then there’s the warning that the entire erection lasts more than four hours. That’s when you start to worry about priapism, a prolonged, painful erection where blood doesn’t flow in and out of your penis, which is a medical emergency.
Furthermore, you have no idea how much of these medications are in the honey sachets or whether they have been prepared safely. The packages for ED medications usually don’t say, “Take as many as you want.” Such medications are not like Skittles.
In addition, several ED medications can interact with certain blood pressure and heart medications and antibiotics. There are also possible interactions with grapefruit juice and alcohol separately. But no student has ever mixed sex and alcohol, right?
Therefore, unless necessary, it is better to avoid using ED medications unless you actually have ED. And even if you have ED, medications may not be necessary. The situation may be temporary. For example, you may be under stress, sitting in a rather cold room or just watching Game of Thrones. In general, it is better to discuss your standing situation with a doctor before resorting to a drug solution.
Why do students use sexual enhancement products such as honey packets?
All of this begs a bigger question: why do students feel the need to take something for sexual enhancement? Certainly, a study showed that 8% of men in their twenties and 11% of men in their thirties suffer from erectile dysfunction. So there is probably a not insignificant number of students dealing with ED. However, this may not be enough to encourage the casual mention of students using sexual enhancement products as seen on TikTok. The guess is that the two guys seen in the video essentially didn’t want to tell the world that they have ED.
It’s about expectations – namely unrealistic expectations. Are the expectations too high or too difficult to achieve, so to speak? Is there an unrealistic expectation that an erection should resemble a streaming movie – available on demand?
If you’re concerned that your partner will be disappointed with what you have to offer naturally, then it may be time for an open, candid conversation. You may be pleasantly surprised by what you find. Instead of consuming a packet of honey and joining in on this college sex trend with honey bags, your partner might just want to be called something like “honey” more often.