By David Ndirangu
Worth Noting:
- My medic brother recently narrated to me how after a boda boda ride on a rough stretch of road, he was left with a dull numbing pain in the groin area. It was as if someone had given him a few well aimed small kicks between the legs.
- He went further to explain the reason behind the pain and the possible effects in case of exposure over an extended period of time.
- According to research done by The Urology Research & Practice of Turkey in 2021, prevalence of erectile dysfunction among male motorcycle riders who did relatively long rides was at 57.7%.
There are over three million public service motor cycles, Bodaboda in Kenya according to recent data from the Ministry of Transport.
Boda boda riders in all parts of Kenya by far exceed their Public Service Vehicle (PSV – or matatu) colleagues in the zeal to break traffic rules.
You will rarely find a boda boda rider wearing a safety helmet or other safety gear. They will at times carry up to four passengers and their luggage. They are known to carry all manner of loads – in a certain rural area a boda boda was once spotted carrying a fully grown cow together with its owner. In the cities and other urban areas, you will see boda bodas moving along verandas and pedestrian walk ways and footbridges in total disregard of the danger posed and inconvenience caused to the pedestrians. I have never understood why they ride as if the devil is continuously yawning behind them – at breakneck speeds even on extremely rough surfaces. All this notwithstanding, the boda boda sector is a very essential player in the economy with a contribution of close to five billion shillings daily.
My medic brother recently narrated to me how after a boda boda ride on a rough stretch of road, he was left with a dull numbing pain in the groin area. It was as if someone had given him a few well aimed small kicks between the legs.
He went further to explain the reason behind the pain and the possible effects in case of exposure over an extended period of time.
According to research done by The Urology Research & Practice of Turkey in 2021, prevalence of erectile dysfunction among male motorcycle riders who did relatively long rides was at 57.7%. The dull numbing pain my medic brother felt was contributed by the narrow bike seat that did not fully support his pelvis ‘sit’ bones and off course the knocking effect in that vital zone on being thrown up and down as the bike sped over the rough stretch of road. That area between the anus and the scrotum is known as Perinium. In the perineum we have the perineal artery which takes blood to the scrotal area (testes and surroundings) and the artery of bulb which supplies blood to the male organ. There is also the superficial perineal nerve which serves the same area.
Therefore, the narrow bike seat puts pressure on these nerves and arteries thus reducing blood supply to the surrounding area and the dull numbness and pain are the symptoms. Inadequate supply of blood to these organs results in insufficient sperm production and possibility of erectile dysfunction. For our boda boda riders, this pressure and the constant pounding on the perinium as they race through rough roads at high speeds can only make things worse. A keen observer will notice that our riders sit partly on the seat and partly on the fuel tank. This is due to being accustomed to carrying 2 or 3 passengers forcing them to move forwards in order to create space. It implies that their “mirigo’ (goods) are literally resting on the metallic fuel tank. The damage is of course compounded by the hard metallic surface. According to medics, it was the creator’s intention by design that the male reproductive apparatus should remain in a hanging position for good health and functionality. What is most worrying is that during the slow section of the day especially late afternoons, instead of our riders taking their rest on the benches provided within their sheds, they insist on continuing to sit on their bikes in the same riding position. So in a nutshell, we can conservatively estimate that for several hours each day, we have about two million young Kenyan males literally sitting on their ‘nuts’ and thus unknowingly at risk of getting erectile dysfunction and if they eventually manage to rise to the occasion, they will most probably be shooting blanks.
You may relate to the experience of my medic brother or maybe to that of a close boda boda rider which might add credence to my hypothesis. It is however imperative that our experts conduct comprehensive research in the boda boda sector to assess the extent of the perceived occupational hazard. In the meantime, whenever you can, please advise those fellows to get off their bikes and sit on the benches as they wait for their customers.
David Ndirangu Bsc. International Business Administration (USIU- A) CPA (K). Business Management Consultant and Author of the book; This is DAVE. Email: ndirangudavid2023@gmail.com
