20/20 to Run Show on Sex Myths, Including Herbal Aphrodisiacs

Herbal Author Chris Kilham Interviewed

ABC News ran a story on Friday, November 5, on sex myths and aphrodisiacs on its news magazine program ABC 20/20. The story has been in development for the past few months. The American Botanical Council was listed at the end of the story as a source for more information on the use of botanicals.

The American Botanical Council previously advised its members and stakeholders about this show in a Media Alert on September 13. At that time, ABC (the herb organization) reported that its Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal had been interviewed several times by 20/20 producer Susan Wagner on herbs that have been used traditionally for aphrodisiac purposes and some of the modern research that supports such use. In October, Blumenthal gave a seminar on this subject at the Natural Products Expo East in Washington, D.C.

Blumenthal was invited by 20/20 to fly to New York in October for an on-camera interview for the show, but the interview was cancelled by ABC News’ medical editor Timothy Johnson MD, who, it was told to an ABC staff member, preferred to interview another MD for the story.

20/20 interviewed herbal author and “medicine hunter” Chris Kilham who will appear in the story. Kilham has recently written a book called Hot Plants (St. Martin’s Press, November, 2004) and has developed a line of products by the same name that is being produced and marketed by Enzymatic Therapy in Green Bay, WI.

According to a press release from Kilham’s publicist emailed on Nov 1, on the final version of the show Dr. Johnson asks him, “Aren’t aphrodisiacs a bunch of hooey?” “Absolutely not,” answers Kilham. “I have traveled the world to meet face to face with experts for every one of these Hot Plants. The effects of natural sex-enhancers is not imaginary.”

The issue of herbs for sexual enhancement is getting considerable media publicity recently. The Washington Post (Oct 16) did an article on Kilham’s travels around the world in search of information on such herbs and an interview on this subject was played on CNNfn channel’s “Flipside” on October 21.