Online erection pill not the problem but the solution

Online erection pill not the problem but the solution

Journalists Cyril Rosman and Ellen van Gaalen described accurately in the AD of Saturday, February 22 how so-called “natural” erection pills, freely available as supplements, actually contain dangerous amounts of prescription medication.

Offering such drugs without medical supervision poses a serious health risk for users who may be unaware of their own medical vulnerabilities. And the problem goes further. Illegal counterfeit medication, such as the infamous Kamagra, is sweeping our country. The RIVM confirms the seriousness of this problem: as much as 80% of the erection medication used in the Netherlands is obtained illegally, without the intervention of a doctor or pharmacy.

However, there is something in the title of the article — 'Internet erection pill poses major risks' — a misconception. The problem is not that erection pills are bought online, but how and where they are being bought. The fact that men are flocking to dangerous, illegal pills isn't just a coincidence: it's a result of shame.

Research by the Dutch General Practitioners Association and Utrecht University shows that only 1 in 10 men with erection problems seeks professional help. The vast majority of men avoid the doctor simply because discussing erection problems is experienced as uncomfortable or embarrassing. This explains why the online demand for erection pills is so high. Through discomfort and shame, health risks, whether ignorant or not, are taken for granted.

It should be clear. The rogue providers of counterfeit medication and “natural” erection pills are a major health problem. The regulator, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), states “it is unable to solve this problem”.

The solution may not be found by looking at the offer. But by focusing on the demand for these erection pills. And above all, how these can be obtained.

This is where the misconception becomes clear. The problem is not offering erection pills online, but rather the solution.

The internet offers the chance to help men with shame in an accessible and discreet way, without sacrificing quality. Provided that in accordance with an accurate process, where a Dutch doctor prescribes the medication after an e-consultation and pharmacists ensure medication safety.

In this way, men who avoid their doctor no longer have to switch to illegal alternatives.

Under a policy by former Minister of Health Ernst Kuipers, it is possible to provide care, as described in the previous paragraph, via the internet. The clinic where the undersigned works also offers this form of care. Unfortunately, we too often notice that all online erection pills, and the places where they can be obtained, are treated with the same brush as dangerous.

While offering online, if done correctly, is the solution and not the problem.