How to Determine if a Sexual Enhancement Product Is Legitimate

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of sexual-enhancement products available online and in stores. Most of them target men and make wild claims to improve sexual stamina, erection quality, and even penile length. Men purchase these products and are often disappointed. Before buying one of these products, you should know how to do research into a product to determine if any credible medical research has been done regarding its efficacy.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Determining If a Sexual Enhancement Product Is Legitimate

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    See your doctor. You can sidestep the possibility of illegitimate sexual-enhancement products altogether by starting with a visit to your doctor. Most of these products do nothing at best and are potentially harmful to your health at worst. Legitimate prescription medications exist for many issues related to sexual performance, including erectile dysfunction. See your doctor to determine if any clinically proven medications backed by verifiable medical research are available for your issue.[1]
    • Make sure that you tell your doctor about any medications or supplements you are taking. Some medications may interact negatively with each other.
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    Research clinical data. Go to clinicaltrials.gov and search by product name. This website—run by the U.S. National Institutes of Health—contains the results of all official testing of medical products.[2] Any product on the market should have the research data to prove its efficacy, and any manufacturer of a product should want to make this information publicly available to prove to consumers that it works.[3]
    • No published clinical trials mean that the product either proved ineffective in a trial and the data wasn’t published or the company simply hasn’t performed any trials—both of which mean the product’s claims are probably illegitimate.
    • Moreover, don’t automatically believe advertising for a product that mentions clinical trials. Do your own research (such as with the NIH link above) to verify the trials. Companies can easily run trials of their product that fall short under the scrutiny of actual scientific rigor, or they can simply claim to have run trials. Again, if they actually ran an authentic trial that proved the efficacy of their product, they’d rush to publish it in reputable locations.
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    Ignore personal testimonials. Claims from individuals about a product are easy to make up and don’t require being held up to scrutiny. Never let testimonials for a drug or anecdotes about its effectiveness stand in place of hard scientific data in the form of published research and clinical trials.[4] By ignoring this baseless support of a product, you’ll immediately notice that it’s just meant to fill the void of legitimate medical information.
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    Verify physician recommendations. Any company can purchase an online photo of an actor in a lab coat and claim the product is "doctor recommended.” Google the name of the physician and determine if the person is a real doctor with a specialization in the area of sexual medicine. Is the physician associated with a prominent hospital? Has the physician completed research and published papers in medical journals?
    • Additionally, if no name appears next to the alleged doctor, then this makes it even less likely that the person is a legitimate medical professional.
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    Search for information related to the product on other credible sites. Clinical trials might not be the only information published about a product. PubMed is another site run by the National Institutes of Health, and it includes over twenty-four million citations related to credible medical research, including information of medications, herbs, and other supposedly performance-enhancing chemicals.[5]
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    Study the active ingredients. If the product is a pill, lotion, spray, or cream, do a search on the ingredients to determine if it is medically viable for the claimed use. PubMed is a reliable source for conducting this research.[6]
    • Many products may also claim to have discovered a group of well-known ingredients, combined in just the right ratio, to unlock the desired performance. If this were true, the company would file for, and receive, a patent on the invention in order to obtain the maximum financial return. Search the U.S. government patent database for any such claims, filed by company and inventor name.
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    Check the FDA to see if the product is harmful. Many sexual-enhancement products illegally add quantities of prescription drug ingredients, unstudied ingredients, and even controlled substances in order to boost claims.[7] These products are often categorized as “dietary supplements” since such supplements do not require approval by the Food and Drug Administration.[8] [9] The hidden ingredients of these products make them potentially dangerous or liable to negatively interact with other medications you may be taking.
    • You can find a complete list of the products known to contain hidden ingredients on the FDA website here.[10] These are just the products that have been identified to contain such ingredients and likely represent only a small percentage of sexual-enhancement products that do contain them.
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    Beware of other harmful side effects. Pills aren’t the only potentially harmful sexual-enhancement products. A number of pumps claiming to increase penis size are also on the market, for instance. Even products like this that can appear to have temporary effects on appearance can do long-term damage by damaging the elastic tissue of the penis and ultimately leading to erectile issues later on.[11]
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    Beware of people looking to make money. Legitimate self-help ideas spread quickly. People love to help others and not make money from it. And the internet is a great way to do that. Be extra careful of those who claim a method, exercise, thought process or "trick" that can help improve your sexual performance - but only if you buy their book, DVD or newsletter. Don't you think that people who have had such great success with this idea would share it on a blog or website?
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Trying Non-Enhancement Techniques

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    Communicate with your partner. Many sexual enhancement products for both men and women promise to increase libido. However, decreased libido relates more to stress, comfortable habits in relationships, and poor communication. Though it may be awkward at first, have a frank discussion with your partner about your sex habits. Discuss your fantasies and listen carefully to your partner’s as well. Simply communicating openly about each other’s desires can help break old routines and breathe new life into your sex life.[12] This is guaranteed to be healthier for your relationship and much healthier for you than an unregulated “miracle” drug.
    • Not only will an honest talk about sex likely reignite your libido, but if pleasing your partner is your concern, then honest communication can help you learn more about what your partner likes and wants out of sexual interactions. Ensure that you stay open to the feedback instead of becoming frustrated or defensive.
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    Exercise to lose belly fat. Regular exercise to get in shape can improve your sexual performance for a number of reasons. Regular cardio will increase your stamina and endurance, including between the sheets.[13] Additionally, shedding some excess pounds will make you feel sexier. Nothing can kill your libido like not feeling very sexy, and getting in shape goes a long way for self-confidence.
    • For men seeking enhancement products for penis size, a “beer gut” hanging down can also make your penis appear shorter than it actually is.[14] In addition to the reasons above, exercising to lose some belly fat can also offer a more flattering appearance to your penis.
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    Learn what constitutes “normal”. Much of the perceived need for sexual-enhancement products related to penis size stems from a misperception regarding the average penis size. Actors in adult films can especially skew that perception for those who watch them. By realizing the actual average size, you can assuage some of the anxiety related to feeling improperly equipped. The actual average size of an adult male penis is:[15]
    • Between three and five inches (eight to thirteen centimeters) when flaccid
    • Between five and seven inches (thirteen to eighteen centimeters) when erect
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    Trim your pubic hair. For men who worry about penis size, bushy pubic hair around the base of your penis can make it appear smaller than it is.[16] Try trimming down the pubic hair around the base of your penis, which will increase the visible amount of natural length.
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    Practice Kegel exercises. Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor and can help with delaying orgasm. If premature ejaculation is the issue for which you’ve been seeking an enhancement product, then try these exercises instead. A 2012 study showed that twelve weeks of regular Kegel exercises more than quadrupled ejaculation response time.[17]
    • The easiest version of this exercises is simply to squeeze the muscles that allow you to stop urinating midstream. Once you isolate how flexing these muscles feels, you can do it discreetly at home or work even without urinating.
    • For other suggestions related to controlling premature ejaculation, visit How to Control Premature Ejaculation
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    See your doctor. While most sexual enhancement products are bunk, several clinically proven medications are available by prescription for problems such as erectile dysfunction (ED). See your doctor, discuss any problems you’ve had with regard to getting or maintaining an erection, and see if he or she thinks that a prescription medication is appropriate for your situation.[18]
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    Consider seeing a counselor. Often the root cause of issues related to sexual performance is mental. Stress, anxiety, and depression can all affect both your libido and you ability to perform sexually. See a certified counselor who can help you sort through what’s weighing you down and negatively affecting your sex life.[19]
    • A number of licensed counselors specialize in the field of sex therapy and may have specific recommendations to assist you with building and maintaining confidence with regard to your sexual performance. A sex therapist can help with issues ranging from ED to premature ejaculation and much more.[20]
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References

  1. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363?pg=2
  2. ↑ https://clinicaltrials.gov/
  3. ↑ https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/manage-recs/background
  4. ↑ http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm341344.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
  6. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed
  7. ↑ http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm234539.htm
  8. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363
  9. ↑ http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm234539.htm
  1. ↑ http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/MedicationHealthFraud/ucm234539.htm
  2. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363
  3. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363?pg=2
  4. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363?pg=2
  5. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363?pg=2
  6. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363
  7. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363?pg=2
  8. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/save-your-sex-life/201501/premature-ejaculation-causes-and-10-tips-treatment
  9. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363?pg=2
  10. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/sexual-health/in-depth/penis/art-20045363?pg=2
  11. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/save-your-sex-life/201501/premature-ejaculation-causes-and-10-tips-treatment

About This Article

Chris M. Matsko, MD
Co-authored by:
Chris M. Matsko, MD
Family Medicine Physician
This article was co-authored by Chris M. Matsko, MD. Dr. Chris M. Matsko is a retired physician based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With over 25 years of medical research experience, Dr. Matsko was awarded the Pittsburgh Cornell University Leadership Award for Excellence. He holds a BS in Nutritional Science from Cornell University and an MD from the Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. Dr. Matsko earned a Research Writing Certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) in 2016 and a Medical Writing & Editing Certification from the University of Chicago in 2017. This article has been viewed 79,878 times.
75 votes - 75%
Co-authors: 16
Updated: June 1, 2021
Views: 79,878
Categories: Reproductive System Health | Medicines and Drugs
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