P-Shot: What Is It, How It Works, Benefits, Cost - Healthline

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Key takeaways

The P-Shot is an experimental procedure that involves injecting platelet-rich plasma from your blood into your penis. Professionals who perform the shot claim that it can treat erectile dysfunction and enhance sexual performance. But most evidence supporting its use is anecdotal.
If you’re considering the P-Shot, it’s important to consult a healthcare professional (ideally one who does not perform the procedure) to discuss the potential benefits and risks and whether the procedure fits your health needs.
A combination of factors, including blood flow, hormones, and mental and emotional well-being, can influence erections and orgasms. If the P-Shot doesn’t produce the results you’re hoping for, you may need to address underlying health issues or consider seeking support from a therapist or sexual health specialist.

The P-Shot involves taking platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from your blood and injecting it into your penis. Platelets are a component of blood involved in wound healing and blood clotting. A doctor can inject PRP into your penile tissues to promote tissue growth and possibly to give you better erections.

The most popular form of PRP for this use is called the Priapus Shot. That name, taken from the Greek deity of sexual health, was first used by Dr. Charles Runels (of Kardashian vampire-facial fame), and it caught on from there.

Not much research supports the specific claims you’ll see used in marketing for the P-Shot. So, before you take the P-Shot to your P (or to your V), here’s what to know.

What is the P-Shot used for?

The P-Shot is based on PRP therapy, which is used in recovery from muscle and joint injuries and has been studied for treating chronic health conditions.

In all cases, PRP therapy is considered an experimental treatment.

The P-Shot has been used as an alternative treatment for concerns such as:

erectile dysfunction (ED)
lichen sclerosus
Peyronie’s disease (a condition in which scar tissue makes the penis curve when it’s erect)
penis enhancement
general sexual function, performance, and orgasm enhancement

Benefits of the P-Shot

The current evidence for the benefits of the P-Shot is anecdotal. If the shot works to enhance sexual function, no one knows why it works, whether it’s repeatable, what the outcomes are, or how safe it is.

Orgasms happen (or don’t happen) for many physical, mental, and emotional reasons. If you’re having difficulty reaching orgasm, a shot may not do anything to address the root cause of the issue.

According to Dr. Richard Gaines, who provides the P-Shot along with other therapies at his LifeGaines practice in Florida, the benefits of this treatment on sexual performance may be due to:

increased blood flow
repair responses in some tissues or cells
the creation of new neural pathways in the brain (as a result of new experiences and positive reinforcement)
the placebo effect

What we know about PRP for sexual function

So far, research on the possible benefits of PRP for male sexual function has been inconclusive.

The authors of a 2020 review of 10 trials of PRP for male sexual function concluded that those trials were generally too small and not well designed enough to provide definitive evidence.

The authors of a 2022 review noted that several studies had shown promising results for PRP as an ED treatment. But they also said those studies had limitations such as short follow-up times, lack of control groups, and the lack of a standard procedure for the treatment.

Similarly, a 2023 review of seven studies found that, overall, those studies showed improvement in sexual function among participants who received PRP. But the authors identified several limitations of the research and noted that larger, higher-quality studies should be performed.

A 2025 study involving 72 participants with Peyronie’s disease found that PRP injections helped reduce the penile curvature and plaque buildup that occur in that disease.

But overall, more research is still needed to find out whether PRP injections are safe and effective for male sexual health.

How to find a doctor

Not many doctors offer the P-Shot, so you may or may not be able to find one who does in your local area.

Start with your usual doctor

Your primary care doctor, a urologist (for people with penises), or a gynecologist (for people with vaginas) may have some experience with this procedure or know of a specialist who performs the P-Shot.

If you don’t have a urologist, the Healthline FindCare tool can help you find one.

Questions to ask

Here are some questions to consider as you search for someone to do your P-Shot:

Are they licensed or certified to practice medicine by a recognized medical board?
Do they have an established clientele with positive reviews and results?
Does their website provide enough information about costs, how they do the procedure, before-and-after pictures (if applicable), and anything else you want to know?
Are they easy to get in touch with, either by phone or email or through an office administrator?
Are they willing to do a quick meet-and-greet consultation or answer any questions you have?
What steps or options are involved in their P-Shot treatment?

Consider your options

One practitioner of the P-Shot is Dr. Richard Gaines. He opened an “age management” practice, LifeGaines Medical & Aesthetics Center, in Boca Raton, Florida, in 2004. His website states that the P-Shot can “allow your body to reclaim its biological responses to stimulus.”

Another facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, called the Hormone Zone, specializes in hormone treatments and offers a P-Shot treatment. This facility advertises the following benefits:

ED treatment
greater blood flow and nerve sensation
stronger and more intense orgasms
higher stamina during sex
a greater libido and a more sensitive penis
a complementary effect when the shot is combined with testosterone therapy
help with sexual function after prostate surgery
increased penis length and width

However, there’s little evidence to support any of these claims.

You may want to talk with your doctor about whether this treatment is worth trying and what other evidence-based treatment options are available.

What to expect during your appointment

The P-Shot is an outpatient procedure, so you can go in, have it done, and go home later that day. You may want to take a day off from work or other responsibilities to allow enough time for the procedure, but this isn’t necessary.

When you arrive at the facility, you’ll likely be asked to lie on a table and wait for the doctor. Once the procedure begins, the doctor or assistant will:

Apply a cream or ointment that numbs your genital area and give you a local anesthetic that numbs the area around it too.
Draw a blood sample into a testing tube, usually from your arm or another noninvasive area.
Put the testing tube in a centrifuge for a few minutes to separate the components of your blood and isolate the PRP.
Extract PRP from the fluid in the testing tube and put it into two syringes for injection.
Inject PRP into your penile shaft, your clitoris, or the area identified as the Gräfenberg (G) spot. This takes a few minutes and involves four or five injections.
Give you a penis pump, if you received the injection into your penile shaft. The pump helps draw blood into your penis and ensure PRP works as intended. Your doctor may ask you to do this for 10 minutes per day over a few weeks. But using a pump too often or for too long can damage elastic tissue in your penis, leading to less-firm erections.

You’ll probably be able to go home within 1 hour after the procedure.

Potential side effects and complications

You’ll probably have some minor side effects from the injection that should go away within a few days, including:

swelling
redness
bruises

In rare cases, other complications are possible, such as:

infection
scarring
outbreaks of cold sores if you have a history of herpes simplex virus

When should you see the results?

Your results can vary widely depending on your overall health and other factors that may be contributing to your sexual function difficulties. Some people notice results right away, after one treatment. Others may not see results for several months or until they’ve received multiple treatments.

Gaines categorizes responses to treatment into three general buckets:

Early responders see effects within the first 24 hours.
Typical responders see effects after three to six treatments. After the second treatment, they notice a change in responses. Within 1 or 2 months, they reach the peak of their results.
Late responders see good results in 3 to 4 months.

“[With] very severe ED, which means several years it’s been an issue, there’s a lot of variables,” Gaines adds.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the P-shot cost?

This procedure is elective and offered by only a few trained doctors. It’s also not covered by most health insurance plans. You might have to pay quite a bit out of pocket for it.The Hormone Zone advertises the procedure for $2,195 but does not say what’s included in that cost.According to a 2023 report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average doctor’s fee for a single PRP procedure in 2023 was $755. That average does not include other expenses related to the procedure, such as any necessary preparation, instruments, or care at the facility.

This procedure is elective and offered by only a few trained doctors. It’s also not covered by most health insurance plans. You might have to pay quite a bit out of pocket for it.

The Hormone Zone advertises the procedure for $2,195 but does not say what’s included in that cost.

According to a 2023 report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average doctor’s fee for a single PRP procedure in 2023 was $755. That average does not include other expenses related to the procedure, such as any necessary preparation, instruments, or care at the facility.

Does the P-shot really increase size?

In a 2017 study of 1,220 people, PRP was combined with the daily use of a vacuum pump to enlarge the penis. Though participants experienced increased penis length and girth, a penis pump alone can produce the same result, and the effect is temporary.The pump can temporarily draw blood into your penis. But using a pump too often or for too long can damage the tissue in your penis, resulting in erections that are not as firm.

The pump can temporarily draw blood into your penis. But using a pump too often or for too long can damage the tissue in your penis, resulting in erections that are not as firm.

How do you prepare for the procedure?

No preparation for this procedure is needed.You may want to get a physical exam or a complete set of blood tests to check your overall health if you haven’t done so in the past year. Regular blood tests are important to make sure you have healthy blood, plasma, and platelets.

No preparation for this procedure is needed.

You may want to get a physical exam or a complete set of blood tests to check your overall health if you haven’t done so in the past year. Regular blood tests are important to make sure you have healthy blood, plasma, and platelets.

What should you expect during recovery?

Recovery is quick. You should be able to resume your usual activities, such as work or school, on the same day or the next day.To help prevent infection at the injection sites, do not have sexual intercourse for a couple of days after the procedure. Try to limit intense physical activity for a couple of days, too, so that sweating or chafing doesn’t irritate the area.

Recovery is quick. You should be able to resume your usual activities, such as work or school, on the same day or the next day.

To help prevent infection at the injection sites, do not have sexual intercourse for a couple of days after the procedure. Try to limit intense physical activity for a couple of days, too, so that sweating or chafing doesn’t irritate the area.

The takeaway

More research is necessary to find out whether the P-Shot is effective. If you’re interested in trying it, you can talk with a healthcare professional. Consider speaking with a doctor who does not perform the procedure, since someone who does may be biased toward recommending it.

Keep in mind that factors such as blood flow, hormone levels, and your mental and physical health can all affect your ability to experience erections and orgasms.

If you’re not seeing results from the P-Shot, you may want to ask your doctor whether any health issues could be affecting your sexual performance. You can also consider talking with a therapist or a sexual health specialist to help find out what’s keeping you from getting complete sexual satisfaction.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

2023 ASPS procedural statistics release. (2023). https://www.plasticsurgery.org/documents/News/Statistics/2023/plastic-surgery-statistics-report-2023.pdf
Anastasiadis E, et al. (2022). Erectile dysfunction: Is platelet-rich plasma the new frontier for treatment in patients with erectile dysfunction? A review of the existing evidence.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9580815/
Dachille G, et al. (2025). Platelet-rich plasma intra-plaque injections rapidly reduce penile curvature and improve sexual function in Peyronie’s disease patients: results from a prospective large-cohort study.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00345-025-05691-5
Epifanova MV, et al. (2020). Platelet-rich plasma therapy for male sexual dysfunction: Myth or reality?https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2050052119300083?via%3Dihub
Gaines R. (2019). Personal interview.
Kumar CS. (2017). Combined treatment of injecting platelet rich plasma with vacuum pump for penile enlargement.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1743609516306567
Munnangi S, et al. (2023). Placebo effect.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513296/
Panunzio A, et al. (2023). Platelet-rich plasma intracavernosal injections for the treatment of primary organic erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of contemporary controlled studies.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41443-023-00798-y

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Medically reviewed by Jillian Foglesong Stabile MD, FAAFP, DABOM — Written by Tim Jewell and Candice Abellon — Updated on December 16, 2025

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Key takeaways

What is the P-Shot used for?

Benefits of the P-Shot

What we know about PRP for sexual function

How to find a doctor

Start with your usual doctor

Questions to ask

Consider your options

What to expect during your appointment

Potential side effects and complications

When should you see the results?

Frequently asked questions

How much does the P-shot cost?

Does the P-shot really increase size?

How do you prepare for the procedure?

What should you expect during recovery?

The takeaway

How we reviewed this article:

More in Next Steps with Diagnosed Peyronie’s Disease

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