Your gas station is selling Rhino, Anaconda and Magnum. It’s really secret Viagra

Brightly colored packaging and names like "Rhino," "Anaconda," and "Magnum" make sexual enhancement products hard to miss, appearing in convenience stores, gas stations, and even delivered to homes. However, the contents may differ from the label. In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cautioned consumers about Rhino 7S Type F3 7000, one of many Rhino-branded products found to contain sildenafil – the active ingredient in Viagra – and acetaminophen, also sold as Tylenol.

This is not an isolated case; the FDA has maintained an expanding list of health fraud scams involving hidden pharmaceutical ingredients since 2007.

The sexual enhancement market continues to grow, with seven new products added to the FDA's list in September 2026. These products, including pills, gummies, honey products, coffee, and chocolates, are often marketed as sexual enhancers. As a public health researcher studying unregulated products, I view these items as part of a larger issue created by global supply chains, online commerce, and a regulatory system struggling to keep up with rapidly changing products.

In the U.S., the FDA regulates dietary supplements differently than prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Dietary supplements must ensure safety and proper labeling, but they don't undergo the same premarket approval process as drugs. This distinction creates challenges in ensuring the safety of products like Rhino-branded supplements.

Viagra, a prescription drug, has its active ingredient – sildenafil – clinically tested for safety, effectiveness, dosing, and manufacturing quality. In contrast, dietary supplements like Rhino products are not pre-approved by the FDA, allowing hidden ingredients to slip through. The Rhino 7S product contained not only sildenafil but also undeclared acetaminophen, posing potential dangers when consumed with other acetaminophen-containing products.

Sildenafil and tadalafil, components of Viagra and Cialis, belong to a class of medications called phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, used for erectile dysfunction. However, consuming these drugs without medical supervision poses risks, such as dangerous drops in blood pressure when mixed with nitrate medications. The presence of hidden ingredients like acetaminophen in supplements also raises concerns, as acetaminophen overdose can lead to severe liver injury and even death.

The issue of unregulated sexual enhancement products extends globally. Studies have found undeclared erectile dysfunction drugs in supplements sold in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. Complex international supply chains and e-commerce further complicate efforts to control substandard and falsified health products. In 2024-2025, Interpol's Operation Pangea XVII seized over 50 million illicit pharmaceuticals, including erectile dysfunction medications, across 90 countries.