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Hims provides both generic and brand-name ED medications, along with access to licensed physicians for diagnosis and guidance. We evaluated Hims by examining their services, prices, and customer reviews.
The ways in which healthcare is delivered have certainly changed in recent years. That includes the ways people can seek help for sexual dysfunction, get treatments, and buy medications for their conditions.
The online company Hims & Hers Health, Inc. is an established provider of products and services for sexual health, hair, skin, nutrition, and other aspects of wellness.
Their products marketed for men are sold on Hims, while products marketed for women appear on Hers. Both offer forms of birth control, as well as medications and treatments for a range of conditions.
If you’re seeking treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), Hims provides both generic and brand-name medications, as well as licensed physicians to give a diagnosis and guidance. The company provides similar medical advice and products for premature ejaculation (PE).
We evaluated Hims by examining their ED services, looked closely at what Hims offers their users, compared their prices, and read through customer reviews.
Here’s what we found.
Hims Inc. was launched in 2017. Hims was joined by their sister company, Hers, a year later to become Hims & Hers Health, Inc.
Hims is a telemedicine company focused on personal wellness and removing the stigmas from seeking care for sexual health issues. They allow users to provide personal health information to be reviewed by a staff of doctors.
These doctors can, if appropriate, prescribe ED medications. A Hims user can then buy these medications on the Hims website.
Prescription drugs must be purchased with a Hims subscription that delivers a month’s worth of medications 12 times a year. You can purchase nonprescription products without a subscription.
If you’re seeking prescription medications through Hims, you’ll first sign up for an account. You can access Hims through your computer, tablet, or mobile app, a service the company launched in November 2021. You’ll go through a series of automated questions such as, “How often do you have trouble getting or keeping an erection during sex?” and, “What results are you looking for?” Once you answer these questions, you’ll be directed to an online consultation.
During the consultation, the provider assigned to you will review your goals and medical history. The doctor will then respond with treatment options via a consultation. The consultation may be via video chat, online chat, or even speaking on the phone, depending upon individual state regulations.
If your assigned doctor feels like you can receive treatment through the Hims platform, they will prescribe medications. Prescription medications are delivered via a subscription. They’re usually filled monthly but may have other available durations. Hims says they have more than 550,000 subscribers.
These medications can be delivered via mail, or the prescription can be sent to your local pharmacy. If you have follow-up questions, you can ask the pharmacy or the doctor who prescribed the medication for you.
Though many medications and supplements on the market promise to treat ED, Hims focuses on five medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They’re a mix of generic and brand-name products.
Generic versions of well-known medications such as Viagra and Cialis are available at a much lower cost than their brand-name counterparts. Although cheaper, they’ve still gone through a rigorous regulatory approval process to verify their safety and effectiveness.
The following ED treatments are available in pill form. Doses are measured in milligrams:
Brand-name Viagra
- Primary ingredient: sildenafil
- Dosage: available in 25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg
- Usage: take as needed
- Price*: starting at $139 per dose
- Effectiveness: lasts 2 to 5 hours
Generic Viagra
- Primary ingredient: sildenafil
- Dosage: available in 25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg
- Usage: take as needed
- Price*: $3–$10 per dose
- Effectiveness: lasts 2 to 5 hours
Brand-name Cialis
- Primary ingredient: tadalafil
- Dosage: available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg
- Usage: take daily regardless of sexual activity
- Price*: $958 for a monthly supply
- Effectiveness: lasts up to 36 hours
Generic Cialis
- Primary ingredient: tadalafil
- Dosage: available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg
- Usage: take daily regardless of sexual activity
- Price*: $82 for a monthly supply
- Effectiveness: lasts up to 36 hours
Brand-name Stendra
- Primary ingredient: avanafil
- Dosage: available in 50 mg, 100 mg, or 200 mg
- Usage: take as needed
- Price*: Staring at $53 per dose
- Effectiveness: lasts up to 6 hours
*Prices as of March 2023
Treatments for premature ejaculation
For some, the combination of premature ejaculation treatments and ED medications can help improve sexual performance.
For premature ejaculation, Hims sells:
- Sertraline: The active ingredient in the antidepressant Zoloft, available in pills of 25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg.
- Clockstopper Climax Delay Wipes: These wipes contain benzocaine, which decreases sensitivity of the penis.
Sertraline is
While some studies, including
Through Hims, a licensed physician can assess your medical history and symptoms and then write appropriate prescriptions for you online.
Using Hims for ED assessment and treatment could be the right choice for you.
For people with a complex medical history, Hims may not be appropriate. Here are the pros and cons of Hims for ED.
While the goal of ED medications is to help you get and maintain erections, there are some differences in the three main ingredients in the products offered by Hims. Each is a type of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor.
Active ingredient: Sildenafil
Sildenafil helps the muscles in blood vessel walls relax, increasing blood flow to the penis. This makes it easier to get and keep an erection.
The drug won’t cause an erection on its own. Sexual stimulation is still required.
The peak effectiveness of sildenafil is about an hour or so after taking it, so it’s best to take the tablet 30 to 60 minutes before beginning sexual activity. Its effectiveness begins to diminish after about 2 hours.
Active ingredient: Tadalafil
Tadalafil is of the same class of drugs (PDE5 inhibitors) as sildenafil, so it works the same way to help you get an erection.
The main difference is that tadalafil stays in the system much longer. The downside is that any side effects from the medication are also more likely to last longer.
Tadalafil is available in a low-dose daily form that takes about 4 to 5 days to become effective. It should stay effective every day as long as you continue to take your daily tablet.
Active ingredient: Avanafil
Stendra is a newer PDE5 inhibitor featuring the active ingredient avanafil. It’s not yet available in generic form.
It’s more like sildenafil in that it has a shorter duration than tadalafil. But avanafil differs from sildenafil in some key ways.
It’s faster acting, usually taking about 15 minutes to be effective, and tends to last a little longer.
Subscriptions start at around $20 per month. Prices can vary based on product supply chain and manufacturer availability.
The average costs for ED medications through Hims vary considerably, depending on whether you’re buying generic or brand-name products. Also, the nature of the medication and the number of pills provided each month affect the prices.
Buying ED products through Hims isn’t covered by insurance.
Hims has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), but like many companies, reviews previously left on the BBB are mixed. Most negative reviews and complaints focus on shipping and billing issues rather than the quality or effectiveness of the products.
On Trustpilot, customer ratings are also mixed but lean more positive with 80% of the reviews rating Hims at 4 or 5 out of 5 stars. Negative reviews generally discuss the cancellation process being difficult or unclear.
Customer complaints about getting timely customer services responses are also common, but Hims appears to be willing and ready to address customer complaints with refunds and other solutions.
Hims aims to provide a private shopping experience. They do collect personal health information as well as information to verify your identity. The way Hims uses or distributes the information to their partners, such as doctors or pharmacies, depends upon your state’s health privacy laws.
Hims is not intended for use in minors, except for those ages 13 to 18 seeking treatment for skin care, such as acne. The site features an extensive explanation of their privacy practices, protected health information, and use of information on their website.
Hims packages their ED products in discreet envelopes. The shipping label will have the Hims company name and sometimes an “H” logo on its packaging. However, if you order products that are not for ED treatment, the products will arrive in a brown, corrugated box with the word “hims” printed on the side.
When used as prescribed, Hims ED medications are generally safe and well tolerated.
But because ED medications affect circulation, it’s important to share with the Hims physicians any information about your cardiovascular health and any other medications you take.
Avoid PDE5 inhibitors if you take alpha-blockers or nitrate medications. When these medications mix, they could cause a
Less serious side effects of ED medications include:
- flushing of the face
- headaches
- nasal congestion
While moderate alcohol consumption isn’t likely to interfere with any ED medications, excessive drinking can not only limit the effectiveness of the medication but also lead to complications such as orthostatic hypotension. This is the medical term for a sudden drop in blood pressure that can cause fainting or falls.
When to get medical attention
Seek medical attention if you experience any of these rare but serious side effects of ED medications:
- priapism, or an erection that doesn’t go away
- changes to hearing, like sudden hearing loss
- changes to vision in one or both eyes
Viagra, Cialis, and Stendra are FDA approved. However, it’s important to note that the generic versions of those drugs may differ slightly from the original patented drug, although the active ingredients are the same.
That being said, not all Hims products are FDA approved since their offerings also include many herbal remedies, medications, and other products. It’s important to verify what drug you’re buying and to check the FDA status.
In addition to the medications available through Hims, you have many other options to treat ED.
It can be a challenge getting to the root cause of your ED — certain treatments won’t work for everyone — but here are a few alternative treatments worth exploring.
Start by talking with your doctor
As with any medical concern, your first step is often a consultation with a doctor. You could also see a urologist for treatment.
If you don’t have a primary care doctor, the Healthline FindCare tool may help you find primary care doctors and urologists in your area.
Find a local health clinic
If you don’t have insurance, local health centers, sexual health clinics like Planned Parenthood, and other medical clinics may be able to provide low cost or free care.
Lifestyle strategies
ED can sometimes be a sign of an underlying health condition, or it can reflect a need for some lifestyle changes. Consider the following:
- A nutrient-dense, balanced diet that focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins may help your overall health and help you maintain a moderate weight. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for ED.
- Limiting alcohol consumption may also help improve sexual performance. The same is true for quitting smoking if you smoke. Smoking harms the health of your blood vessels.
- Reducing stress may help, too. There are many ways to relieve stress in the present and long term.
- Treating depression and anxiety can also help. Your mental wellness is key to better sexual performance.
Other online services
Telemedicine and subscription services
The online market for reliable ED medications has expanded in recent years, with companies similar to Hims offering prescription medications through the mail.
- BlueChew is a subscription service offering monthly supplies of tadalafil and sildenafil pills.
- Roman is another online provider of ED medications as well as treatments for other medical issues, such as heart disease and eczema.
- Lemonaid is an “online doctor’s office” where you can get prescriptions for ED treatments as well as mental health care services.
- GoodRx Care is a service that offers online doctor’s visits and ED treatment prescriptions for people between ages 25 and 65.
- Sesame is an online platform that offers treatments for a number of medical conditions, including ED.
If trying an online prescription program for ED medications interests you, do some more research, compare prices and other features, and find a service provider with whom you are comfortable.
Online comparison tools for pharmacies near you
Filling prescriptions outside of subscription services like Hims is significantly less expensive. You can price out the cost of these medications at local pharmacies using online tools.
Read more about Hims vs. Roman.
Penile injections
Though more invasive than taking a pill, self-administered injection therapy is a proven means of treating ED safely and effectively. The medications and syringes used in the injections are available with a prescription only.
Surgery
For a more permanent (but even more invasive) solution, you may want to talk with your doctor about penile implant surgery.
Prescription pills like those offered through Hims are just one form of treatment for ED.
Choosing the right ED medication for you depends on several key factors, including your lifestyle, overall health, and sexual habits.
Tadalafil (Cialis) is a longer-acting medication, allowing you the spontaneity of sexual activity at any time.
Sildenafil and avanafil, on the other hand, are generally effective for about 4 to 6 hours. They should be taken at least 30 minutes before sexual activity.
Does Hims help with erectile dysfunction? Is Hims worth trying?
Hims can be a great service if you know what kind of ED medication is right for you. By using Hims, you can bypass a regular in-person doctor’s visit or another visit to a pharmacy.
That being said, Hims may not be a great fit for people who would rather explore more natural, nonprescription solutions first.
How often can you take Hims?
According to Hims, doctors will typically prescribe three dose strengths of Viagra — 25 mg, 50 mg, or 100 mg. For most patients, the recommended dose is 50 mg taken as needed, approximately 1 hour before sexual activity.
Based on the effectiveness of the drug and your ability to tolerate it, your provider may adjust the dosage. The maximum dose per day is 100 mg of sildenafil, so don’t take any more if that much is working for you.
Is it safe to use with other ED medications?
Doctors don’t advise you to combine any ED medications for a better erection on your own. None of these drugs are approved by the FDA for use with one another.
Does Hims ED pills make you last longer?
It’s important to note that ED medications helps people with erectile dysfunction have an erection, but they don’t delay orgasm. However, if you’re unable to maintain an erection during the length of a sexual encounter, then yes, ED medications may be able to help you last until orgasm.
If you’re primarily looking to delay your orgasm, consider Clockstopper Climax Delay Wipes, which are available through Hims. These wipes use benzocaine as a numbing agent to temporarily reduce sensitivity of the penis and possibly delay orgasm. For people experiencing premature ejaculation, this is a treatment option as well.
Hims is a telemedicine company that specializes in medications for sexual dysfunction and other wellness products.
It offers privacy and one-stop shopping that allows you to consult with a licensed doctor and receive a prescription for an ED medication before subscribing to get the medication delivered monthly to your home.
Hims can provide convenience, ease of access, and privacy for getting ED medications, but other options may be more affordable.
