Anonymous 20-year-old bisexual female asks: Can you [talk] about those arousal honeys? Are they safe/do they work/what is in them etc.?
After about three weeks of begging Campus Times editors, it became apparent that a CT-sponsored experiment to answer this question was not an option. Instead, just for you anonymous 20-year-old bisexual female, I took one for the team.
For those unaware, honey packets are the newest sex fad amongst sexually active college students. Not to be confused with culinary honey packets, containing only the products of honeybees, the packets I’ll be discussing are touted on TikTok as being a cure-all for any sexual dysfunction and often contain other ingredients, such as unspecified “herbs” and potentially other undisclosed additives.
It’s hard to discern what the actual effects of these honey packets are; people online claim that they will make your dick harder for longer, allow you to go for multiple rounds, and maybe your girl will see God when she comes. Honestly, I couldn’t even tell if there was a specific brand I was supposed to get, so this entire subject is very convoluted.
The use of these honey packets by college students definitely has some medical professionals very concerned for our health: Honey packets are classified as a supplement, not a medication, meaning that manufacturers can put anything in them without needing to disclose specific ingredients, and make whatever claims they want about its effects.
Most typically just contain some herbs like maca and ginseng, which won’t do much in terms of sexual performance, but some, such as the Royal Honey brand, have been proven to contain tadalafil, aka the main active ingredient in Cialis, a prescription medication for erectile dysfunction.
The FDA even issued an advisory against using the product, as tadalafil can cause low blood pressure and dizziness. When consumed in conjunction with alcohol and certain prescription drugs, it can possibly lead to death. The danger is that these products often do not advertise or even mention tadalafil on their ingredient labels.
While investigating these honey packets, I asked many friends if they had ever tried them in their sex lives. One friend, a female graduate from the Class of ’23 who wishes to remain anonymous, said she and her boyfriend recently tried using a honey packet.
They had split one packet between them, and according to her, she “was a waterfall,” had an erect clitoris (yes, this is a thing), and her boyfriend was able to go for multiple rounds with a minimal refractory period. At this point, with another woman telling me that she noticed a difference in her genital response, I knew I had to grab a couple and try them myself.
With my boyfriend in tow (and slightly embarrassed), I took a walk down to the nearest vape and smoke shop. There I stood in front of the looming wall of sexual enhancements, with a plethora of decisions to make. There were so many brands, flavors, and specialized effects to choose from. Some packets were about the size of a single ketchup packet, while others were the size of literal Go-Gurt tubes.
While I was intrigued by the largest pack labeled “Rabbit Mode,” I instead opted for two of the least-intimidating packets, each the size of a Hellman’s Mayonnaise packet. The package advertised to improve size and stamina, as well as be longer-acting and faster-acting than similar products, all with the added benefit of no headache! They cost me $7 each.
Upon cutting them open, my boyfriend and I were hit with a rancid smell — sort of like hot honey mixed with soy sauce. It tasted equally disgusting. Neither of us could finish the entire packet.
The good news is that we didn’t need to. As far as differences in sexual performance, we both agreed it was much easier to get started: while we typically require at least ten or more minutes from foreplay to insertion, we were able to begin much sooner. By this, I mean our respective genitals were raring to go, but neither of us noticed a dramatic increase in desire.
While I really only noticed an increase in my vagina’s natural lubrication, my boyfriend experienced more effects. His erection was almost immediate as foreplay began, and he did last quite a bit longer than is typical for us. However, we both agreed that there wasn’t exactly an improvement in sexual performance.
Sure, it was fun to have sex for about 10 more minutes than usual, and being wetter certainly helped me keep up. However, my boyfriend did report slight dizziness and a very upset stomach afterwards. He also woke up at five in the morning with a massive erection, so it definitely lived up to the demand of “long-lasting.”
All in all, my boyfriend and I are in agreement that for the price of $7, the honey packets aren’t worth it. For all the hype, I was quite disappointed. I didn’t come and see God, and my boyfriend just got a bellyache and an annoying erection.
The wisdom I will impart on you is this: If you’re struggling with sexual performance, a product claiming to be a cure-all is likely not going to fix it, and could actually pose risks to your health. The main issue with unregulated sexual enhancement products is that there are no regulatory agencies to ensure that these companies are being transparent about what is in their products. The FDA does not have the ability to test every product on the market.
Especially at our young age, erectile dysfunction medications are truly not a necessity and can lead to further sexual dysfunction down the road. Not to mention these products are typically designed for men, and usually don’t have as dramatic an effect on women, because tadalafil works by increasing blood flow to the penis. The most likely side effect of this will be an erect or highly sensitive clitoris – anything else is likely a placebo. If you or your partner are having issues with getting hard or wet and staying that way, it may be something you should talk to a healthcare professional about, and explore safer, regulated alternatives for, first.
The bottom line is that one product is not going to make you have mind-blowing sex. Taking care of your mental, physical, and sexual health is a much better path to unlocking extraordinary sex.
