The Truth About
Impotence Treatment Claims
Health fraud sells false hope. Whether fraud is
packaged as exotic pills and potions, phony cures or "miracle" remedies, it
thrives on wishful thinking, naivete, or desperation. Fraud wastes a consumer's money, and
in some cases, valuable time, especially when it causes a consumer to postpone proper
treatment for a medical problem.
Recent advances in treating impotence have opened the floodgates for bogus remedies for
this condition. Using the Internet and direct mail solicitations, unscrupulous businesses
are capitalizing on the publicity and popularity surrounding a new medical product,
exploiting consumers who are desperate for a cure. The fact of the matter: Impotence is a
medical condition for which treatments are available from qualified practitioners. Don't
be too embarrassed to see your physician before you begin any treatment regimen.
When it comes to healthcare or medical products that promise results-especially those
for impotence-the Federal Trade Commission offers these tips for evaluating claims you may
want to believe, but shouldn't.
- If the product is advertised as effective for treating impotence-and no physician's
prescription is necessary-forget it. It won't cure the condition.
- If the product is advertised as a "breakthrough" in treating impotence, check
with your doctor to see if it is legitimate.
- If the product is promoted by a "medical organization," call your physician to
check the credentials. Phony "clinics" and sham "institutes" are
touting bogus cures for impotence.
- If the product says "scientifically proven" to reverse impotence in a high
percentage of patients, check it out with your doctor. Some claims that "clinical
studies" prove a product works are false; generally, high success rates should raise
suspicions.
- If the product being pitched to cure impotence is "herbal" or "all
natural," dismiss it. To date, no "herbal" or "all natural"
substance has been shown to be an effective treatment for impotence.
For more information about impotence, write to the American
Foundation for Urologic Disease, Inc., Sexual Function Health Council, 1128 N. Charles
Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. You also can visit their other web sites at www.impotence.org, or www.iiem.org,
or call their toll-free number at 1-800-242-2383.
The FTC works for the consumer to
prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the
marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and
avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get free information
on consumer issues, visit
www.ftc.gov or
call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The
FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related
complaints into
Consumer Sentinel, a
secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law
enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
|
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION |
FOR THE CONSUMER |
1-877-FTC-HELP |
www.ftc.gov |
|
October
1998 |