P-Shot® (PRP for Men), Charleston SC

Reviewed by Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP | A4M Board Certified | Updated October 2, 2026

The P-Shot is an experimental PRP injection, not an FDA-approved ED cure. Here is what the trials actually show, what the guidelines say, and what should come first.

Most pages selling the P-Shot tell you it is a safe, natural, FDA-approved fix for erectile dysfunction. Here is what you should know before paying out of pocket: the P-Shot is a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection that is not FDA-approved for erectile dysfunction, and the best evidence is genuinely mixed. One rigorous US trial found it worked no better than a placebo injection, while an earlier, smaller trial found a benefit.[3][5] Both the American Urological Association and the Sexual Medicine Society of North America classify PRP for ED as experimental and say it should be offered only inside a research study.[1][2]

That does not mean it can never help anyone. So the fair label is “unproven,” and before an experimental injection, the more important step is finding out why you have ED in the first place, because it is often an early warning of a treatable heart or hormone problem. We offer the P-Shot at Solcara, and we would rather you choose it knowing its track record than discover it afterward.

Key takeaways

The P-Shot is a PRP injection into the penis, marketed for erectile dysfunction, Peyronie's disease, and sexual enhancement. It is not FDA-approved for any of these uses.[1][2]
The evidence is mixed and comes from small, short trials. The most rigorous US placebo-controlled trial (61 men) found PRP no better than a saline injection at 6 months.[3]
An earlier placebo-controlled trial (60 men) was positive, with more men reaching a meaningful improvement on PRP than placebo, but it followed men for only 6 months.[5]
The AUA (2018) calls PRP for ED experimental and says it should not be offered outside an IRB-approved research protocol; the SMSNA (2021) agrees it should be reserved for clinical trials, not routine practice.[1][2]
Penile PRP appears well tolerated in short studies (mild soreness, bruising), but long-term safety is not established.[4]
ED is frequently an early sign of cardiovascular disease or low testosterone, so a proper workup and proven treatments usually come first.[1]

Section 01 / What it is

What the P-Shot actually is

The P-Shot, sometimes called the Priapus Shot, takes platelet-rich plasma concentrated from a sample of your own blood and injects it into the penis, marketed to improve erections, treat curvature from Peyronie's disease, and enhance sensation. Using your own platelets sounds elegant and low-risk, and the short-term safety record is reasonable. The biology behind it sounds reasonable, which is a big part of why the advertising lands. Plausible is not the same as proven, and this is where the evidence gets uncomfortable for the industry.

Start with the regulatory status, because a sales page will blur it. No PRP product is FDA-approved or FDA-cleared to treat erectile dysfunction, Peyronie's disease, or for sexual enhancement. The only FDA clearances for PRP preparation systems cover the device that separates the plasma, for handling in the operating room, not any treatment claim.[1] So any clinic describing the P-Shot as an “FDA-approved procedure” is misstating the facts. The honest framing is that this is an off-label, experimental use of PRP.

Section 02 / Hear from Ashley

Ashley on the P-Shot

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C describes the men who usually ask about the P-Shot and the questions she asks them first.

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C on the P-Shot and how we approach it. Under a minute.

Section 03 / The evidence

What the evidence on PRP for erectile dysfunction really shows

Most P-Shot pages skip this section entirely. There are two good placebo-controlled trials of PRP for ED, and they disagree with each other, which by itself tells you the treatment is not settled science.

The most rigorous and most recent is a US trial of 61 men with mild to moderate ED, randomized to PRP or a sham injection. At 6 months, erectile-function scores improved in both groups by a nearly identical amount, with no statistically significant difference between them, and the authors concluded that PRP does not appear effective for ED, at least on its own.[3] In plain terms, the men who got a placebo injection did just as well as the men who got PRP.

The earlier trial, of 60 men, was more encouraging: more men in the PRP group reached a meaningful improvement in erectile function than in the placebo group at 6 months.[5] It is a real result and worth knowing. It is also a single small study with only 6 months of follow-up, and it used a low threshold for what counted as improvement. When you put the two trials side by side, the honest summary is that the benefit is uncertain, the durability is unknown, and the best-designed trial was negative. Anyone promising you reliable results is going well past the data.

What the evidence supports

That penile PRP is generally well tolerated in short trials (mild soreness or bruising), and that one 60-man trial found more men reaching a meaningful improvement with PRP than placebo at 6 months.

What the evidence does not support

That the P-Shot reliably treats ED. The most rigorous US placebo-controlled trial found it no better than a saline injection, no PRP product is FDA-approved for ED, and the AUA and SMSNA both call it experimental.

Section 04 / The options

The P-Shot compared with proven ED treatments

With the evidence laid out, the P-Shot lines up against the established options on what matters most: whether it is proven, whether it is FDA-approved, and what role it realistically plays. The table below compares them honestly.

The strongest placebo-controlled trial found the P-Shot no better than a saline injection.

Option	Evidence and approval	Honest role
P-Shot (PRP injection)	Mixed trials, best one negative; not FDA-approved; AUA and SMSNA call it experimental	Unproven; research-grade, realistic expectations only
PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil)	Strong evidence, FDA-approved, first-line	The proven starting point for most men
Injections, vacuum devices, implants	Established, effective options for men who need more	Proven escalation when pills are not enough

Is the P-Shot the right starting point?

Six things to check first

Check any that apply. Each check is a reason to start with a medical workup or an approved treatment before an experimental injection.

Two things stand out when you read it honestly. The FDA-approved treatments are both the best proven and usually the least expensive, and the P-Shot is neither. Second, none of this matters until someone has looked at why you have ED, because that is where a real evaluation starts and where the most important findings often turn up.

Section 05 / The guidelines

What the guidelines say, and treating the real cause

This is the part a clinic selling injections has no incentive to tell you. Both major professional bodies have looked directly at PRP for ED and reached the same conclusion. The American Urological Association states that PRP therapy should be considered experimental and should not be offered to men with ED unless it is given within an IRB-approved research protocol.[1] The Sexual Medicine Society of North America, reviewing PRP, shockwave, and stem-cell therapies together, concluded that these treatments are experimental and should be reserved for clinical trials and not offered in routine clinical practice.[2]

Just as important is what ED often signals. Erectile dysfunction is frequently an early sign of cardiovascular disease, and it is commonly linked to low testosterone, diabetes, medication side effects, and sleep or mental-health issues. A proper evaluation, including the right laboratory work and a review of your hormones, can catch a problem that matters far more than any injection, and often points to a treatment that actually works. Treating the cause beats treating the marketing category.

Considering the P-Shot for ED in Charleston? Erectile dysfunction is often an early sign of a heart or hormone problem, so a real workup comes before any injection. Call 843-981-0870 and we will check the things that matter first, then talk honestly about your options.

Section 06 / Our approach

P-Shot consultations in Mount Pleasant and Charleston

If the P-Shot is on your mind, start with an evaluation of why ED is happening rather than with the injection. That workup covers cardiovascular risk and testosterone, offers an approved treatment when one fits, and leaves experimental options for afterward, discussed against the trial results.

Solcara works in that order. Men are seen at both Solcara offices, and recent labs or a medication list make the first visit more useful. Ashley Harwyn, PA-C is candid about where the evidence is thin. If an approved treatment fits, we begin there, and if you still want the P-Shot afterward, it is offered as an experimental option with uncertain benefit, never as a cure. The women's counterpart, the O-Shot, is explained with the same candor.

Testosterone Therapy at Solcara

Low testosterone is a common, treatable cause of ED. Read Testosterone Therapy at Solcara.

Full Panel Lab Testing

Where an honest ED workup actually starts. Read Full Panel Lab Testing.

The O-Shot

The women's PRP counterpart, explained with the same honesty. Read The O-Shot.

Ask Ashley

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C PA-C, ABAAHP · Founder, Solcara Health Online

Tap a question to ask

Does the P-Shot actually work for ED? The honest answer is that it is unproven, and the best trial is discouraging. There are two good placebo-controlled studies, and they disagree. The most rigorous one, a US trial of 61 men, found PRP worked no better than a sham injection at 6 months, with both groups improving by nearly the same amount. An earlier, smaller trial of 60 men was positive but followed men for only 6 months and used a low bar for improvement. The AUA and the SMSNA both classify PRP for ED as experimental. A P-Shot may help some men, but anyone promising reliable results is going beyond what the science supports.

Is the P-Shot FDA-approved? No. No platelet-rich plasma product is FDA-approved or FDA-cleared to treat erectile dysfunction, Peyronie's disease, or for sexual enhancement. The only FDA clearances for PRP systems cover the device that prepares the plasma for use in the operating room, not any treatment claim. Any clinic calling the P-Shot an FDA-approved procedure is misstating the facts. This is one reason we approach it with realistic expectations and make sure a proper evaluation has come first.

Should I try the P-Shot or a proven treatment first? Usually a proven treatment first. PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil and tadalafil are FDA-approved, well studied, and inexpensive, and they are the first-line option for most men. For men who need more, injections, vacuum devices, and implants are established and effective. Just as important, erectile dysfunction is often an early sign of heart disease or low testosterone, so an evaluation that checks those can catch something far more important than any injection. A clinic that reaches for an experimental shot before looking at the cause has the order backwards.

Is the P-Shot safe? In short studies it is generally well tolerated, with mostly mild and self-limited effects such as injection-site soreness, bruising, or a small bruise under the skin that resolves within a few days. No serious adverse events have been reported across the trials. That said, these were small studies with follow-up of only about 6 months, so long-term safety is not established, and the absence of reported serious harm is not the same as proof that it is safe over years. We walk you through the specific risks before anything is done.

Can the P-Shot treat Peyronie's disease? The evidence here is even thinner. For Peyronie's disease, which causes penile curvature, there are essentially no adequately controlled studies of PRP, only small uncontrolled reports suggesting modest changes, and neither the AUA nor the SMSNA endorses PRP for it. It falls under the same experimental, research-only umbrella. If curvature is your main concern, an evaluation with proven options is the right starting point, not an unproven injection.

Be taken seriously, and told the truth

Book an evaluation at The Longevity Club, 163 Rutledge Avenue downtown, or our Mount Pleasant office.

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Or call 843-981-0870

About the author

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, founder of Solcara Health in Charleston, South Carolina.

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP

Founder, Solcara Health · Diplomate, American Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners (ABAAHP)

Ashley has practiced medicine for more than fifteen years. Her path into it began at home, with a family member born with a congenital heart defect and a childhood spent watching how much the quality of a clinician's attention could change the shape of a life. She has since practiced across a range of settings, including medical mission work in Uganda, before founding Solcara to build the kind of practice she kept wishing existed, one that treats patients as whole people and tells them the truth about what the evidence does and does not support.

Full bio →

Why men choose Solcara for a P-Shot consultation

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, performs the P-Shot® at Solcara Health and trained in the procedure with Dr. Charles Runels, who developed it and holds the trademark on the name. Because P-Shot® and Priapus Shot® are protected names, any clinic offering them under those names should be able to show that training.

The bigger difference is what happens before anyone picks up a needle. Erection changes are often an early sign of something else, such as narrowing blood vessels, low testosterone, diabetes, or a medication side effect, so the visit starts with your history, your medications and, where it makes sense, labs. If a proven option such as an oral ED medication fits you better, Ashley will tell you that plainly. If you still want to try PRP after hearing what the trials show, it is prepared from your own blood, and you leave with a clear way to judge whether it helped.

Medical Disclaimer: This page is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, and reading it does not create a patient-provider relationship. It describes general medical information and categories of care, not a recommendation that any individual start, stop, or change any test, treatment, or medication. Any diagnosis or treatment decision requires evaluation by a qualified, licensed clinician who knows your personal and family history. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before making medical decisions. Information reflects sources available as of October 2, 2026.

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners (ABAAHP) through A4M and the founder of Solcara Health. Solcara serves South Carolina from Downtown Charleston (163 Rutledge Ave, Ste 202, The Longevity Club) and Mt. Pleasant (496 Bramson Ct, Ste 120).

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