Individual Perceptions of the Efficacy, Quality, and Safety of Sexual Health Care Delivered via a Direct-to-Consumer Telehealth Platform: Retrospective Analysis of Data From a Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Authors

Michael Bohl, Lauren Governale, Peter Stahl, Knox Beasley, Jessica Yu

Published in

JMIR formative research. Volume 10. Pages e95561. Sep 15, 2026. Epub Sep 15, 2026.

Abstract

Increasingly, individuals are seeking treatment for sexual health concerns through direct-to-consumer (DTC) telehealth platforms, and there is ongoing debate about whether such platforms can deliver safe and effective care.
The objective of this study was to examine how men who sought sexual health treatment through a large national DTC telehealth platform viewed the quality and safety of their care, and how these perceptions differed from those of men who sought other types of treatment through the platform.
We conducted a retrospective analysis of data gathered from an online survey sent to individuals who accessed treatment through the DTC telehealth platform. Individuals completed the survey between June 30, 2025, and July 3, 2025. The survey consisted of 4 sets of items that asked respondents about their perceptions of the quality and safety of the care they accessed. We used descriptive statistics to summarize individuals' responses to survey items and chi-square tests to compare the responses of those who accessed sexual health treatment with those who accessed other types of treatment.
The survey was completed by 497 men who accessed sexual health treatment and 512 men who accessed other types of treatment through the platform. Among sexual health participants, 397 of 497 (≥80%) reported favorable impressions of the quality and safety of care across most survey items. Sexual health participants were more likely than nonsexual health participants to view the online intake as similar to an in-person appointment (χ²₁=12.4; P<.001) and more likely to rate the telehealth experience as better than in-person care with respect to privacy and discretion (χ²₁=14.8; P<.001); the convenience of managing their care (χ²₁=14.9; P<.001); the thoroughness of questions asked during the intake (χ²₁=23.5; P<.001); the clarity of treatment options and information (χ²₁=17.1; P<.001); the overall sense of safety and medical quality (χ²₁=18.2; P<.001); their trust in the care model and medical providers (χ²₁=18.2; P<.001); and the transparency about possible side effects and risks (χ²₁=12.8; P<.001).
Men who accessed sexual health treatment via a national DTC telehealth platform had positive perceptions of the overall quality and safety of care. Their responses to specific survey items may inform future research on the efficacy, quality, and safety of DTC telehealth, as well as product and service development in virtual health care.

PMID:
42743439
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 16 Sep 2026.

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