Justin Dubin, MD, on how direct-to-consumer men’s health companies can benefit patients

In this video, Justin Dubin, MD, discusses the potential benefits of direct-to-consumer (DTC) men’s health companies. Dubin is a urologist at Memorial Healthcare System in Aventura, Florida.

Transcription:

Are there any specific conditions or circumstances under which you would advise men to consult a doctor before using DTC products?

Personally, I think there are incredible benefits (to DTC companies). First of all, DTC companies, particularly in the men’s health space, have done a really great job of destigmatizing conversations. You can no longer go anywhere without seeing an ad on social media, television, podcasts for erectile dysfunction, lack of energy, low libido, or ejaculation problems. So they’re largely doing the work that we need to do to educate and destigmatize these conversations. Additionally, they can provide access to people who may not have access to medical care, whether they are uninsured or are not in an area where there is a urologist or provider. And they are able to provide the convenience and anonymity that many people, many men, want in the area of ​​sexual health.

Do you always do what is best for the patient? Is it always affordable? I think in some ways yes, in some ways no. I think that ultimately direct-to-consumer is not the enemy. I think we need to understand that they are here to stay, and as providers we need to educate our patients about the risks and benefits involved. However, I think we need to make sure that, especially with direct-to-consumer testosterone replacement, sometimes erectile dysfunction isn’t necessarily just a problem with your erections or your low testosterone levels. These things can be a sign or symptom of other things going on, whether it’s diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and I think it’s important to make it clear to men that just treating a problem with a drug doesn’t mean they have a problem that all your problems are solved. We really need to educate men that this is one aspect of your health, but we may need to check other things. I can’t tell you how many times these guys would come to me and I would diagnose them with diabetes and high blood pressure and they were just there for erections. So I think direct selling is a great gateway for a lot of men to start thinking about their health for the first time, learn more about their health for the first time and hopefully be a stepping stone and a motivational tool to get them to come see us. So I think we can potentially reach more men if we understand the direct-to-consumer and hopefully work with the direct-to-consumer to really get our messages across. Because I think at the end of the day, the more men are aware of their sexual health and can at least address it, the better for everyone.

This transcript was created and edited by human editors using AI for clarity.