THE NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY
ISSN: 0331-4111 e-ISSN: 2736-075X
Volume 23, No. 2, November 2025
Pages 1-19
DOI: 10.36108/NJSA/5202.32.0210
Sexual Agency, Relationship Dynamics, and Kayan Mata Aphrodisiacs Use among Young Women in Ibadan, Nigeria
Adefolake O. Ademuson and Toluwaleke Owonifaari
Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract
This study investigated the intersection of sexual agency, relationship dynamics, and the use of Kayan Mata aphrodisiacs among young women in Ibadan, Nigeria, premised on the Feminist Empowerment Theory (FET). Despite growing visibility of women’s sexual needs, structural inequalities, cultural taboos, and relationship pressures continue to shape intimate choices. Anchored in FET’s emphasis on systemic transformation and women’s strategic life choices, this research explored how Kayan Mata functions as both a vehicle of empowerment and a coping mechanism within patriarchal constraints. Utilizing a qualitative, descriptive cross-sectional design, the study draws on 20 in-depth interviews with women aged 18-40 and 10 key informant interviews with vendors, healers, and health professionals across Ibadan’s five urban LGAs. Data collected through purposive and snowball sampling was thematically analyzed. Findings revealed that while Kayan Mata use often boosts confidence, enhances intimacy, and supports relationship maintenance, it is also shaped by internalized norms and societal expectations. The study calls for policy interventions that promote comprehensive sexual health education, dismantle stigmas around female sexual expression, and support women’s autonomy beyond commodified tools. True empowerment, it argues, requires shifting from private remedies to public rights and collective agency. In conclusion, young Ibadan women use Kayan Mata to subtly negotiate agency within complex socio-cultural sexual dynamics. Therefore, governments should promote feminist policies, reform curricula, ensure safe sexual health access, regulate aphrodisiacs, engage men, and amplify women’s voices.
Keywords: Sexual agency, relationship dynamics, Kayan Mata aphrodisiacs, socio-cultural sexual dynamics