Male enhancement industry booming but Ontario doctor warns of risks
· Toronto Sun
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One local male enhancement website is currently offering a 40% off sale on all services, part of a Black Friday promotion.
“Most people want to be the best they can be,” Dr. Gerald Brock told the Toronto Sun. “But in terms of what men are doing to try and achieve these changes in their penile length and width, very often, it’s a bad risk versus benefit ratio.”
“The side effects from the intervention outweigh the potential benefits,” he said.
Penis size is a source of angst for many men, and that insecurity has fueled the enhancement industry.
“A lot of these men have a distorted view of what is normal, what’s reality, what’s abnormal, and their aspirations are to have a bigger, longer, wider penis, like they may have seen on the internet,” Brock said.
Brock is a professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, at St. Joseph’s Health Centre in London, Ont. He has more than 30 years of experience in men’s health. He is the past president of the Canadian Urological Association; incoming president of the International Society for Sexual Medicine and an author of more than 250 publications.
Brock was asked if there is a psychological profile of a man who seeks some form of enhancement.
“I’m not an expert in psychology, but I can tell you that there are very few men who are happy with their life, happy with their partner and happy with their physical attributes, that will go seek an enhancement,” he said.
Average penis length in North America closer to five inches
For men with no medical issues like erectile disfunction or Peyronies Disease, Brock said easy access to pornography and social media can leave many men with a narrower view of the world when it comes to size.
“Especially in a lot of younger men, the information they get about what expectations they should have are distorted because of what they see on the internet, what they believe to be true, what they believe, potentially their partners or female partners may want them to have,” he said. “The truth is, that the average length of a penis in North America is closer to five inches. “
“Reality, expectations and beliefs sometimes don’t jive,” Brock added.
And this distorted view has men running to the internet to find solutions to a problem that doesn’t exist, except in one’s mind. A 2024 study of US Google searches noted an increase in interest in penile-enhancement injections from 2013 through 2022.
“It’s much more prevalent in the U.S. than it is in Canada,” Brock said. “And I think it has to do with the fact it’s a real cash cow for those people that do it.”
Treatments cost thousands of dollars
In Toronto, there are several clinics catering to the enhancement market, providing “minimally invasive” treatments like dermal filler injections and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections.
Depending on the option, a filler procedure can increase the girth approximately two inches and increase the length three-quarters of an inch while limp. The length of the erect penis does not change with dermal fillers. Touchup treatments can be done every 12 to18 months if needed or desired.
Called a ‘P shot’, PRP is an experimental, non-surgical procedure that involves injecting plasma extracted from your own blood into the penis to stimulate tissue repair and improve blood flow.
A dermal filler procedure ranges from $4,200 to $13,200. Depending on the clinic, a P-shot can cost anywhere from $850 to $1,900 per session. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a full injection treatment at some clinics can cost $200,000 US.
According to Yahoo Finance, the global sexual wellness and health market – which includes male enhancement supplements, devices, and related products – is valued at roughly $28.82 billion to $30. 23 billion US as of this year.
There is currently no safe, scientifically proven method to lengthen the penis. Cosmetic practitioners aren’t always medical experts.
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Unregulated in Canada
Brock is concerned because the science to back up some claims is still not there, in some cases. In his opinion, shockwave therapy is a growing concern.
“There is a huge number of these shockwave therapy centres, and they are becoming more common in Canada,” Brock said. “It is a shame, because the data behind that form of therapy, whether it’s use of PRP, or stem cell therapy, or shockwave is poorly documented. There isn’t the medical evidence to support it, and it’s not regulated in Canada.”
“I’ve had physiotherapists run these sorts of clinics that charge thousands of dollars to these men who are vulnerable, and they go for the therapy, and the vast majority are unhappy.”
Shockwave therapy is a treatment that uses sound waves to stimulate blood flow and encourage the growth of new blood vessels in the penis.
Brock said his job as a doctor is to help men make informed choices.
“The information they’re gleaning is mostly from internet sources, unverified, and I would advise these men to speak to their family doctor, (speak to) a professional, to get objective information before they jump into a procedure they may regret,” he said.