WASHINGTON – Over the past several years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued numerous notices identifying some dietary supplement products sold as “sexual enhancers” that contain potentially dangerous ingredients.

The agency’s website states that it “has identified an emerging trend where over-the-counter products, frequently represented as dietary supplements, contain hidden active ingredients that could be harmful. Consumers may unknowingly take products laced with varying quantities of approved prescription drug ingredients, controlled substances, and untested and unstudied pharmaceutically active ingredients. These deceptive products can harm you! Hidden ingredients are increasingly becoming a problem in products promoted for sexual enhancement.”

Recently, some retailers unknowingly selling these products have received letters threatening lawsuits unless the products are removed. Retailers should check the FDA website that lists the dozens of products in question to verify that they do not offer these products for sale.