What did the placebo-controlled trials find?
Two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials give the clearest answer, and they point in opposite directions. Both enrolled men with mild to moderate ED and gave two injections spaced one month apart.
| 2021 trial (Greece) | 2023 trial (Miami) | |
|---|---|---|
| Men enrolled | 60 | 61 |
| Protocol | Two 10 mL PRP or placebo injections, one month apart | Two PRP or placebo injections, one month apart |
| Main measure | Meaningful improvement in erectile function at 6 months | Meaningful improvement at 1 month after the second injection |
| Result | 69% on PRP vs 27% on placebo | 58.3% on PRP vs 53.6% on placebo, no significant difference |
| Blood flow | Not the main measure | No change in penile Doppler readings at 6 months |
The 2021 trial also found PRP ahead of placebo at one and three months, with no adverse events. The 2023 trial concluded that PRP was safe but found no difference in efficacy compared with placebo.
Why might the results disagree?
Neither study tells us for certain, but the designs differed in ways that matter. The 2021 trial judged success at six months, while the 2023 trial’s main measure came one month after the second injection. PRP preparation also varies between systems, so “PRP” in one study is not identical to PRP in another.
The most striking number is the placebo response in the 2023 trial: more than half the men on placebo improved meaningfully. That shows how far erectile function scores can move without an active treatment, and it is the reason placebo-controlled trials matter before anyone says a treatment works. The International Society for Sexual Medicine sums up the wider literature the same way: mixed, promising, and in need of more research.
What do urology groups say?
Professional societies have not endorsed PRP for routine ED care. The AUA erectile dysfunction guideline states that PRP therapy for ED should be considered experimental. The Sexual Medicine Society of North America concluded in 2021 that robust efficacy data were absent and that restorative therapies, PRP included, should be reserved for clinical trials until better studies are done.
PRP is also not FDA-approved for ED. The 2021 trial prepared its PRP with an FDA-approved separation system, but injecting PRP into the penis to treat ED is not an approved use, and your provider should describe it that way.
Who is PRP most reasonable for?
If you consider PRP, you should go in knowing the evidence is unsettled. The men studied had mild to moderate ED, so that is where the data, such as they are, apply. You might consider it if you want a non-drug option, dislike relying on pills, or want to add something to a plan that already includes medication or shockwave.
It is not a substitute for finding the cause. ED can be an early warning of heart and blood vessel disease, which our page on ED as an early sign of heart disease explains. For a direct comparison with the other restorative option, see shockwave vs PRP for ED.
Related question: how many sessions would I need?
The trials used two sessions a month apart, but there is no standard protocol. Our page on how many PRP treatments for ED covers what the studies used and when results are judged.
How Ultimate Male discusses PRP for ED
At Ultimate Male, PRP is one of four ED approaches, alongside medications, Trimix and Quadmix injections, and shockwave. Before anything is recommended, labs check testosterone, blood sugar and other markers, and a provider reviews your history and what you have already tried.
If PRP comes up, you will hear the same evidence summarized here, including the negative trial. Read more about PRP injections for ED and what drives the cost of PRP for ED, or visit the main PRP injections page to book a free call.
