Online Reporter
Sinokubonga Nkala
WHAT if you could restore your virginity EVERYDAY after a wild night of heavy duty and reckless usage?
Apparently, it’s possible for only US$5.
For that meagre amount, one can restore tightness every day for up to three years!
That is the wild claim being made by users of the Pencil aka “Virgin Stick,” “Vagina Stick,” “love stick,” “Chikwanje,” or “tightening pencil.”
However, medical doctors have warned that it is a dangerous practice that increases chances of contracting HIV, cancer and a myriad of horrible infections, among users.
The Pencil storm is sweeping through Zimbabwe with women falling over each other to buy it from dealers who get it from Malawi, Zambia and the DRC.
The phallic, granite-hard and strong smelling stick looks like dried poo.
B-Metro went undercover to learn more about the craze.
The stick is sold on Facebook pages and women only WhatsApp groups.
It is also available from dealers around Basch Street Terminus, popularly known as Egodini, while some suppliers drive around in Bulawayo, Harare, Gweru and Plumtree, making deliveries.
A woman at Egodini told the undercover news crew the stick restores a woman’s virginity in minutes, spices up her sex life, and even “makes a man marry you.”
A smartly dressed woman, driving a shiny black Honda Fit, who sold the stick to the news crew said it had no side effects.
“It’s totally natural. Wrap it in pantyhose and insert it into your privates after bathing and at least 30 minutes before intercourse. Whatever you do, don’t insert it for more than 5 minutes, three minutes tops daily,” said the woman in a tone that inspires confidence.
“I assure, if the man does not propose marriage, he will sing in tongues or serenade you with a poem. You use the same stick for up to three years, just remember to wash it after use.”
Asked how one can tell if they are not being sold something that has been used by someone else, since it lasted that long, the woman looked offended and said she only dealt in trust and would never do that to anyone.
As she spoke to the news crew her companion who was driving the car kept saying messages from clients were pouring in and they had to do deliveries.
“You made the right choice. Everyone is buying. I sell at least 60 sticks on a good day. Keep my number, I have many other things that can turn your bedroom into a rumbling jungle of bliss,” she said with a smile.
A “lady of easy virtue” claimed she had been selling her body at night spots in Gweru for 6 years, when she found a businessman in Bulawayo who proposed marriage.
“I used it on my wedding night. It was so tight that I bled. Up to now he believes he married a virgin,” she said with a sly wink.
However, not everyone has good stories to tell about the Pencil.
Nomathemba (26) from Cowdray Park trusted a friend who swore by it.
“She said it would surprise my boyfriend. Instead, it felt like I was on fire. It was dry, painful, and I bled afterwards. I couldn’t sit properly for two days.”
Linda (32) from Nkulumane thought she was doing something special for her husband.
“I bought it from a lady outside Egodini for ZiG5 000. Three days later, I was oozing a yellow discharge and had a fever. The clinic nurse said my pH was a mess. I had recurrent infections that almost cost me my uterus. My husband couldn’t believe it when I told him why.”
Thabo (30) from Pumula South admits the pressure often comes from men:
“Guys talk about ‘tight’ women like it’s a badge of honour, but they don’t know what women go through. My ex cried from pain. That killed the mood. No woman should suffer for a man’s ego.”
An online search revealed scary ingredients in a typical Pencil. Apparently it is a centuries-old recipe that is used mostly in parts of Asia and Africa.
“Marketed as a natural herb, the stick often contains alum (aluminium potassium sulphate) — a harsh astringent that causes tissue to contract. It’s sometimes mixed with plant tannins, fragrance, and even boric acid, a chemical used in pest control and medical antiseptics.”
While marketed as natural, most of these “sex pencils” are made with industrial-grade chemicals.
These products are not tested or regulated,” warned a Bulawayo-based gynaecologist.
“We’ve treated women with chemical burns, torn tissue, chronic thrush, and even pelvic inflammatory disease, all after using these so-called tightening sticks.”
Another gynae said since the privates would be dry, chances of bleeding are high and that increases risk of contracting STIs including HIV.
Respected herbalist UKhulu Ncube from Gwabalanda, denounced the trend:
“These are not ancestral herbs. These are chemicals meant to deceive. Real traditional medicine does not burn the womb or destroy a woman’s soul.”
Health professionals urged women to ditch unregulated products and instead seek safer, doctor-approved ways to maintain intimate “tightness,” such as Kegel exercises, proper hygiene, and medical consultation.
“Cultural pressure shouldn’t cost you your health,” said a medical doctor. “You are not broken. Don’t let society make you feel like you need to be fixed with fire.”
