Is Reddit a reliable source for information on erectile dysfunction treatment?
Int J Impot Res
; 35(5): 484-489, 2023 Aug.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35597799
ABSTRACT
Patients may turn to social media websites, such as Reddit, for information on erectile dysfunction prior to seeking care from a physician. We sought to identify, characterize, and assess the quality of the erectile dysfunction treatments discussed on the highly influential Reddit website. We assessed 2634 comments from two subreddits, r/AskMen and r/ErectileDysfunction, for positive and negative statements regarding treatments for erectile dysfunction. A total of 45 unique treatments were discussed and consisted of changes in sexual behavior (30%), lifestyle changes (29%), medical interventions (23%), talking with a partner about ED (10%), and use of supplements (8%). Only 24.4% of all treatments discussed are in line with current American Urological Association guidelines. Only 43.8% of all positive statements made endorsed a guidelines-based treatment, indicating a high rate of self-proclaimed success with alternative therapies. Our results indicate that there is active discussion of erectile dysfunction treatment on Reddit with a wide range of therapies recommended, however, the majority of the recommendations are not supported by strong clinical evidence.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Social Media
/
Erectile Dysfunction
Type of study:
Guideline
/
Qualitative_research
Limits:
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Int J Impot Res
Year:
2023
Document type:
Article