Should you use hydrogen peroxide for ED?

Hydrogen peroxide is a well-known antiseptic and wound cleaning agent, but some internet rumors say the bubbling liquid from your medicine cabinet may help with erections too. Could hydrogen peroxide for ED (erectile dysfunction) actually work as a natural ED remedy? 

Unfortunately, no. While very low concentrations might have some benefit on the erectile process, those results are theoretical and hard to generalize. Clinical research on this topic has never been done on living humans or animals. 

More importantly, using hydrogen peroxide on penis tissue or consuming hydrogen peroxide for erection assistance is a dangerous and potentially fatal “home remedy” that you should avoid at all costs. 

Here’s what you need to know about the limited research on the topic, and why existing treatments for ED are much safer and more reliable.

While some studies have examined hydrogen peroxide for ED, there is no current evidence that the antiseptic hydrogen peroxide can benefit men with erectile dysfunction or work as a treatment for the condition. 

Hydrogen peroxide isn’t only something you buy at the drug store, though. It’s actually a chemical the body produces naturally. So, what little research we have on the relationship between hydrogen peroxide and erectile function is on the body’s natural source of the chemical. 

The relationship between hydrogen peroxide and ED is controversial. While hydrogen peroxide can contribute to cell damage (and therefore, probably worsen ED), in some cases, it also has vasodilatory effects on blood vessels. That means in other cases, its presence in the body could theoretically help support erections, though further research is needed on the topic. 

Some experts have checked whether the body’s own hydrogen peroxide might have a role on natural erectile function due to its effects on vasodilation. One small study looked at penile organ donor tissue and found that, as men aged, their vasodilation response to their body’s own supply of hydrogen peroxide decreased, which could have an effect on erectile function. Another 2022 study similarly found that hydrogen peroxide can have both dilating and contracting effects on smooth muscle tissue, depending on the context, suggesting a complex role in erectile function.

In neither case did researchers use an external source of hydrogen peroxide to try and stimulate erectile function in living human tissue. So while there’s much more to learn about how hydrogen peroxide affects erectile health, at the moment no one considers it to be any sort of “treatment” or “medication” for sexual dysfunction.

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While hydrogen peroxide is considered mostly safe when used as directed as an antiseptic, it can nevertheless cause irritation, tissue damage, and redness if it makes contact with sensitive tissue. And things get worse when the hydrogen peroxide you use is more concentrated, or when it’s ingested or injected into your body. NEVER ingest or inject hydrogen peroxide; the effects can be fatal. 

Let’s examine the potential risks further. 

It may cause irritation and chemical burns

Hydrogen peroxide can damage many of the body’s tissues, inside and out, and while your eyes and other sensitive tissues may experience serious burns or corneal damage from contact, even your thicker outer skin can be burned and discolored. Hydrogen peroxide solutions may cause severe pain, swelling, and require medical attention if they come in contact with your skin.

It could cause a number of symptoms if inhaled

While contact with hydrogen peroxide can cause mild to severe symptoms depending on the concentration and the location of contact, inhaling the vapor of hydrogen peroxide can cause symptoms even if you don’t touch the substance directly. Common symptoms of hydrogen peroxide inhalation include sore throat, cough, dizziness, headache, and nausea, though more serious responses like shortness of breath can also occur.

It could cause serious damage if ingested

Hydrogen peroxide ingestion could do more than damage the tissues of your esophagus and GI tract. Reported symptoms from ingesting hydrogen peroxide include neurological issues, nausea, hypotension (lowering of blood pressure), necrosis, distention, gastrointestinal bleeding, and abdominal pain.

It could cause a heart attack, stroke, and potentially be fatal if injected

Hydrogen peroxide is not safe to inject into the body and blood stream. Because hydrogen peroxide rapidly converts to oxygen gas when it interacts with tissues, it can cause an embolism in the form of a sudden gas bubble in the circulatory system. This could result in a stroke or a heart attack, both of which are potentially fatal reactions.

Because there’s no proven value to using hydrogen peroxide for ED (and a seemingly endless list of risks), you should avoid listening to any recommendations telling you to use it for this purpose. Instead, the best approach to treating erectile dysfunction is to focus on evidence-based, science-backed treatments for ED — the ones recommended by healthcare professionals and proven effective in extensive research. 

Prescription medications 

Oral medications, specifically phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (PDE5 inhibitors), are typically the first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction. These FDA-approved drugs work by relaxing blood vessels in the penis, improving blood flow, and encouraging a firmer, longer-lasting erection.

The PDE5 inhibitors with FDA approval include:

• Viagra (sildenafil)

• Cialis (tadalafil)

• Stendra (avanafil)

• Vardenafil

While most PDE5 inhibitors come in pill form, Ro also offers these medications in other formulations. (While the exact formulations aren’t FDA-approved, their active ingredients are FDA-approved for the treatment of ED). These include:

• Ro Sparks: A fast-acting sublingual (dissolves under the tongue) pill, combining both sildenafil and tadalafil (the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis, respectively)

• Daily Rise Gummies: A once-a-day gummy containing tadalafil that comes in tropical fruit flavors

Lifestyle changes 

Erectile dysfunction has many different causes, so there’s no single ‘quick fix’ or trick to cure it. However, lifestyle changes — such as improving diet, exercising regularly, reducing alcohol intake, and managing stress — can sometimes improve ED symptoms, either alone or in combination with medication.

Key changes that may help with ED include:

• Smoking cessation. Smoking is linked to risk factors for ED like poor cardiovascular health, and studies suggest a current smoker is 50 percent more likely to experience ED. Quitting smoking could dramatically improve ED symptoms and overall sexual health over time. 

• A healthier diet. Maintaining a heart-healthy diet by avoiding sugary snacks, excess alcohol, and processed foods can prevent sexual dysfunction, and can help prevent obesity, which is another risk factor for poor sexual performance.

• Regular exercise. Regular exercise can help prevent ED, so make sure to get your blood pumping with regular sessions so long as exercise is safe for you. The good news is that everything from swimming and cycling to brisk walks and jogs can help. Find something that you enjoy, and make it a habit.

• Take care of your mental health. ED is often regarded as a physical condition, but a number of mental factors can impact sexual function as well. Stress, anxiety, and depression can all contribute to ED. Therapy, focus on healthy relationships, and even deep breathing exercises may improve sexual performance (and other parts of your life, too). When in doubt, talk to your partner or a sex therapist for more information.

Other therapies

Other therapies like vacuum devices or penile pumps, penile implants, topical creams, and injections, can also treat ED effectively in certain circumstances. These secondary treatments are typically recommended when prescription medications and lifestyle changes don’t deliver the results an individual is looking for, or if medications are contraindicated for reasons like incompatibility with someone’s other medications or health conditions. 

Penile injections deliver medication directly into the penis, producing an erection without the sexual stimulation required by oral medications. These injections typically use vasodilator medications such as alprostadil, or combinations of alprostadil with phentolamine and papaverine, which relax the smooth muscle in the penis and increase blood flow to produce an erection. Speak to your healthcare provider to see if these might be an option for you.

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It would be great news to find that one of the easiest and most effective treatments for erectile dysfunction might already be in your medicine cabinet right now. Unfortunately, hydrogen peroxide isn’t on that list — nor are most other Internet “remedies.” 

Like the salt trick and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide isn’t supported for ED. While hydrogen peroxide does have plenty of medicinal uses, hydrogen peroxide for ED isn’t likely to be added to that list anytime soon.

• No studies have shown that hydrogen peroxide provides any benefit for erectile dysfunction. While a few studies have explored the theoretical role of the body’s own hydrogen peroxide in erectile function, there are no human or animal studies on this, and no recommendations exist for safely using externally applied hydrogen peroxide.

• Self-administering hydrogen peroxide for ED is dangerous and potentially fatal. Even though it is generally safe as a topical antiseptic, applying it to the sensitive skin of the penis can cause severe irritation. Ingesting or injecting hydrogen peroxide can damage internal organs, including the throat and airways, and injection may lead to a gaseous embolism, stroke, heart attack, or death.

• Safe and effective ED treatments are already available. In addition to lifestyle changes like improving diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management, medications such as Viagra and Cialis can be prescribed to support erectile health. Consult a healthcare professional to learn which treatment options are appropriate for you.