ArticleSexual medicine2023
Characteristics of direct-to-consumer platforms offering erectile dysfunction treatment.
Article in Sexual medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Direct-to-Consumer Erectile Dysfunction Medications: is the Convenience Worth the Cost?Current urology reports · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Due to the sensitivity and potential embarrassment of discussing erectile dysfunction (ED) in person, men are seeking treatment online. Aims: We sought to compare offerings of direct-to-consumer (DTC) platforms for ED treatment with respect to consultation, pricing, services, and privacy policy. Methods: Google was queried to identify DTC platforms offering ED treatment with the keywords: "telehealth erectile dysfunction," "telemedicine erectile dysfunction," and "online erectile dysfunction." Inclusion criteria were as follows: serving a majority of U.S. states, existing online only, providing both the consultation and prescription for phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, and delivering the prescription to the patient. Results: Fifteen DTC platforms met criteria. Ten provided free consultations; 4 bundled the consultation fee with the first month of the prescription, with 1 of these functioning as a subscription service. Fourteen (93%) relied on online intake forms and 10 (67%) advertised review by the prescriber within 2 business days. Only 4 (27%) platforms explicitly advertised physician-only consults. Direct contact with the prescriber would only occur if needed or if required by state law at 8 (53%) platforms. Purchasing sildenafil and tadalafil was advertised on all platforms. Minimum prices of sildenafil ranged from $0.50 to $35/pill (mean $5.16/pill, median $2.65/pill); tadalafil ranged from $0.50 to $9.80/pill (mean $4.70/pill, median $3.21/pill). In addition to ED therapy, 13 (86%) platforms offered treatment for other men's health issues. All platforms included a website privacy policy, but only 10 (67%) mentioned Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliance, with 2 of these claiming to not be covered entities. Conclusion: Although DTC platforms are transparent with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor medication and subscription pricing information, few offer direct contact with a physician to further discuss issues related to ED after completion of the online intake form. For comprehensive evaluation of ED in Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant settings, in-person or telemedicine visits should be arranged with men's physicians.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.