Vietnamese women concerned by aphrodisiac perfume

Many local women are worried of the powers of aphrodisiac perfume as some online sex shops claim that if women inhale their aphrodisiac fragrances for a few seconds, they will become sexually excited and unable to control themselves.

These aphrodisiac perfumes are freely advertised on online sex shops under various names like Rush, Quick, Red Strength, and Popper. The sellers claim that their products are imported and are of good quality.  

Arouse powerful sensual feelings?

An online ad reads: “Rush helps increase feelings of excitement, stimulate the sex drive, and bring unforgettable happiness to lovers. It is available for men, women, gays, and lesbians”. Another ads says: “Super Rush Quick gives your partner feelings of excitement and sexual pleasure which cannot be reached under normal circumstances”.

According to a report by Zing News, Mai in Binh Thanh District in Ho Chi Minh City, whose eldest daughter is a third-year student at a university, was unable to sleep for several days because she was worried after hearing a rumor that some fragrances for sale can arouse powerful sensual feelings.

She later asked her husband to phone an online shop. The man who answered confirmed that he was selling many kinds of sexually-arousing perfumes, each of them costing from VND900,000 to VND2 million per bottle. The man claimed that scents from the perfumes give their users feelings of excitement and high sexual desire. 

A schoolgirl named M.K. told Zing News that her boyfriend used to be solicited by a street vendor selling unlabeled bottles of aphrodisiac fragrance. “When my boyfriend and I were sitting on the sidewalk near Mien Tay (Mekong Delta region) bus station in District 6, a street-vendor approached my boyfriend and sneakily handed him a small box with a naked girl printed on it,” K. said.

“When he left, I asked my boyfriend what it was. I was shocked to hear that it was a sexual-arousing product because I never thought that my boyfriend would cheat on me,” K. recalled.

There are rumors that many women have been victims of these perfumes. For example, an office worker at a company in Ho Chi Minh City said that her boss gave her a luxury bottle of perfume as a gift that he bought during a business trip abroad and asked her to try it. Her whole body turned hot and she experienced high sexual desire after using it. When she awoke, she was terrified to find herself completely naked.

Similarly, a second-year student said her boyfriend gave her a bottle of perfume while they were at a cinema. She felt excited after smelling the scent from the perfume. Her boyfriend suggested they go to a hotel and she agreed. As a result, she got pregnant but decided to have an abortion.

“It simply increases sexual desire” 

Some local experts believe the major component of these aphrodisiac fragrances is alkyl nitrites (a.k.a. “poppers”) which includes amyl nitrites, butyl nitrites, and isobutyl nitrites.

Ph.D. and Dr. Nguyen Thanh Nhu, member of Asia Pacific Society for Sexual Medicine (APSSM), told Saigon & Tiep Thi Newspaper that alkyl nitrites cause feelings of excitement including sexual arousal and are found in air fresheners.

“Inhaling poppers will increase one’s heart rate and dilate the blood vessels, making the user feel warm and excited,” said Dr. Nhu.

Dr. Nhu assured that female users of these perfumes won’t be so turned on that they will want to have sex with strangers they meet on the bus, at their workplace, or in a market.

Meanwhile, Ph.D. Nguyen Quoc Tuan of Vietnam Pharmacist Association said people who inhale alkyl nitrites may experience headaches, sensations of spinning, and/or dizziness. “If men use poppers along with a treatment for erectile dysfunction like Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis, they can face health risks because the combination can cause low blood pressure, or even death,” Dr. Nhu said.

“Women are often turned on by physical stimulation so it is impossible that inhaling some perfumes can make them lose control and have sex with strangers,” Dr. Tuan concluded.

He added that some people have been hospitalized due to penile disorder after using aphrodisiac products. Tuan warned that users of aphrodisiac fragrances could become barren or suffer mental disorders.

The doctors said amyl nitrites have also been used as an antidote for cyanide poison.