Big bucks for horse power - Men paying $200k for extra length
A growing number of young Jamaican men are reportedly shelling out around $200,000 to add length and girth to their manhood.
This is according to operator of Juvaura Medical Aesthetics and Wellness, Dr Joshua Daye, an aesthetic and anti-ageing physician who has seen a steady rise in the demand for penile enhancement procedures among younger men.
This penile enlargement treatment, dubbed 'horse power filler', involves injecting hyaluronic acid into the penis, a substance that attracts water, plumping the area and potentially adding one to two inches in length or width.
"It's quite an investment. The tubes are an investment, so we do have people coming in, those who can afford it," Daye said of the hefty price tag.
Jamaica is ranked 11th on the list of penis sizes in the world, according to the 2024 ranking published by World Population Review. The average penis size for Jamaican men is said to be 6.4 inches. Sudan heads the list with 7.07 inches, with DR Congo (7.06), Ecuador (6.93), Republic of the Congo (6.82) and Ghana (6.81) rounding out the top five.
But it's not just aesthetics that men are concerned about. Daye told THE WEEKEND STAR that erectile dysfunction (ED) is another area of great concern among Jamaican males.
"In terms of age group, initially it was 45 to 65, but now we're seeing younger men coming in, some as young as 25 years old, with erectile dysfunction," he said.
The doctor blamed factors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor dietary habits as major contributors. Health conditions like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, as well as mental health challenges, many exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, are also contributing factors, Daye said.
Many men with ED have turned to drugs such as Viagra and Cialis to give them a lift. Daye says that while those drugs have been useful, the Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy has been shown to be very effective.
"The PRP is natural, it's long-lasting and it's quite effective," said Daye, who offers the intervention which he calls the horse power pack. The cost for this therapy starts at $100,000. The process involves drawing the patient's blood, spinning it in a centrifuge to separate the plasma, and re-injecting the plasma into specific points in the penis to improve blood flow and repair damaged tissue.
"It's actually addressing the root cause. Sometimes medications don't address the root cause, but PRP does by repairing damaged tissue or blood vessels," Daye said.
For those unable to afford PRP therapy or penile fillers, some turn to herbal remedies or black-market drugs, often with dangerous consequences.
"Persons are turning to herbal treatments, some of which are damaging their liver and kidneys. People are getting drugs off the black market, and sometimes these drugs are contaminated with fentanyl and other harmful substances. It's a serious problem," Daye cautioned.
Despite the stigma surrounding sexual health, he encourages men to seek professional help.
"You know, the Jamaican population, we're known for sexual power and prowess, I would say. So, can you imagine a young man in his community not being able to have an erection? It can be quite a shameful experience for him, especially with females talking among their friends, and you know everything is on TikTok nowadays. So, yeah, it can have negative effects," he said.