A controversial product known as the “Virgin” Stick, also called the “V@gina Stick,” “Love Stick,” or simply “The Pencil,” is rapidly gaining popularity among women in Zimbabwe, especially in cities like Bulawayo, Harare, and Gweru.
Promoted as a magical tool to “restore virginity,” enhance intimacy, and even secure marriage proposals, the stick is being sold for as little as US$5.
Women who use the stick claim it tightens their private parts in minutes and improves their sex lives. Some even believe it has the power to make a man fall in love instantly.
Sellers, often operating from cars or street corners around Egodini and other hotspots, describe the product as “totally natural” and safe for long-term use — up to three years with proper care.
However, health experts are sounding the alarm.
Medical professionals warn that the use of these tightening sticks can lead to severe health problems, including
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Chemical burns
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Chronic infections
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Pelvic inflammatory disease
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Increased risk of HIV and other STIs
Some sticks contain harmful substances such as alum (a strong astringent), tannins, boric acid, and industrial-grade chemicals. These can severely disrupt the natural pH balance of the vagina, leading to pain, dryness, bleeding, and long-term damage.
“I had a yellow discharge, a fever, and nearly lost my uterus,” said Linda from Nkulumane, after using the stick for just a few days.
Another user, Nomathemba, described her experience as painful and traumatic: “It felt like I was on fire. I bled and couldn’t sit properly for two days.”
Some women admit they use the product due to pressure from partners or societal expectations around female “tightness” and purity. Yet experts argue that these pressures are harmful and based on outdated or unrealistic ideals.
“No woman should suffer for a man’s ego,” said Thabo, a 30-year-old man from Pumula South.
Respected traditional healer Ukhulu Ncube also condemned the trend, saying, “These are not ancestral herbs. These are chemicals meant to deceive.”
