The Best Sex Pills for Men: A Complete Guide

If you’re searching for the best sex pills for men online, you’re bound to find countless options with claims of making your penis bigger or boosting your sexual stamina.

But do they really work?

While some prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) “sex pills” are approved to support men’s health and wellness, others can be risky. In fact, some of the so-called best male enhancement pills, herbal supplements, and dietary supplements can be downright dangerous.

Below, we’ll dig into the scientific evidence behind various sex pills and male enhancement products to outline which options are your best bet for achieving a satisfying sex life and which you should avoid at all costs.

“Sex pills” isn’t a medical term. Rather, it’s an informal catch-all term for any capsule, tablet, or oral compound that promises to enhance your sex life. 

This includes science-based prescription medications for erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE), and also less reliable options.  

Non-prescription sexual performance pills are readily available online and in many stores. They’re cheap and accessible, but there’s no real proof that they work. 

And unlike sexual health treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), OTC sex pills aren’t required to go through rigorous testing for effectiveness or safety.

If you’re looking to improve your sex life, FDA-approved medications and treatments backed by real studies are your best option.

We’ll dive into prescription medications shortly, but let’s first tackle OTC sex pills and supplements. These products, often branded as male enhancement supplements, make some pretty bold claims, like the ability to:

• Increase your penis size

• Give you stronger erections

• Help you last longer in bed

• Boost your testosterone levels

• Help you recover faster after sex

So, do they really deliver? 

Some evidence suggests certain ingredients can boost sexual health in men. These ingredients include:

• Ashwagandha

• Ginseng

• Magnesium

• Horny goat weed (epimedium)

• Zinc

• Ginkgo biloba

• Maca root

• White willow bark

• Rauvolfia serpentina

• Black pepper

But that doesn’t mean the ingredients will necessarily improve your erections, sexual stamina, or overall sex life.

The Hims guide to increasing your testosterone levels naturally outlines the ingredients that are backed to boost testosterone—and, in turn, your sex life—in more detail.

The FDA treats dietary supplements like foods rather than medications. This means many sexual enhancement tablets aren’t rigorously tested for safety. 

It also means it’s not always clear exactly how or where sexual enhancement supplements are made. Some pills might come from clean, modern facilities, while others might come from facilities that lack safety and cleanliness standards.

Shockingly, some pills even contain unlabeled prescription drug ingredients. These hidden ingredients can cause dangerous interactions and potentially serious side effects, especially if you're taking meds for high blood pressure, heart disease, or other common medical conditions. 

As such, relying on these products to improve your sex life can be risky. For the latest information on tainted sex tablets and pills, check out the FDA’s Tainted Sexual Enhancement Products list.

Looking for the best sex pills for men because you have ED? Good news: In this case, you can try FDA-approved medications, including the following:

• Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra^®)

• Tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis^®)

• Vardenafil (the active ingredient in Levitra^®)

• Avanafil (a newer medication sold as Stendra^®)

These medications, known as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5 inhibitors), enhance the effects of nitric oxide to increase blood flow to your penis after sexual arousal. 

Let’s look at each of these medications in more detail.

Sildenafil (Viagra)

Sildenafil (Viagra) is a fast-acting ED medication that was the first prescription drug for ED to receive FDA approval in 1998.

You take it as needed, 30 to 60 minutes before sex, and its effects last about four hours per dose. 

Sildenafil is a great option when you need a one-night fix for ED. 

Like all ED medications, sildenafil can cause side effects like:

• Headaches

• Flushing

• Muscle soreness

• Vision changes

• Nasal congestion

Our guide to sildenafil side effects goes into more detail and covers potential drug interactions to be aware of if you’re considering taking it as an ED or PE treatment.

Tadalafil (Cialis)

Tadalafil (Cialis) is a longer-lasting ED pill (up to 36 hours per dose). That quality has earned it the nickname “the weekend pill” for ED.

Tadalafil is an excellent choice if you enjoy spontaneous sex or engage in sexual activity more than once a day. It can be taken as needed before sex or daily. Since it lasts long, you don’t need to worry about timing your dose.

The downside of Cialis? Side effects may stick around longer than other medications.

Vardenafil (Levitra)

Vardenafil (Levitra) is similar to sildenafil, but its effects last slightly longer, providing relief from ED for up to six hours.

It might be a better option for you if you usually take your ED medication with or after dinner, since food is less likely to mess with its absorption. 

Common side effects of vardenafil include headaches, nasal congestion, flushing, and indigestion—similar to other ED pills. 

Avanafil (Stendra)

Avanafil, sold under the brand name Stendra, is a newer ED medication with several benefits over other prescription pills:

• It works faster. Avanafil starts to work in as little as 15 minutes so that you can take it closer to sex than other ED medications.

• Food doesn’t impact its absorption. Like vardenafil, you can take avanafil with meals without slowing the onset. 

• It has fewer side effects. Stendra is less likely to cause side effects than other ED medications.

Want to learn more about this ED medication? Read our guide to avanafil.

ED isn’t the only sexual health issue that can mess with your sex life. Research in the Indian Journal of Urology concluded that up to 39 percent of men may experience premature ejaculation at some point in their lives.

Looking to tackle PE and boost your sexual confidence and stamina? You’ve got some solid options, including some of the prescription antidepressants and topical products outlined below.

Sertraline

Sertraline (generic Zoloft^®) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that healthcare professionals typically prescribe to treat major depressive disorder. They may also prescribe it off-label to help with increasing ejaculation latency, which is a clinical term for the time it takes before you reach orgasm and ejaculate. 

You can take it daily or just when you need it for PE. Thanks to its long-lasting effects, you can easily time your dose before getting intimate for the best results. 

Other SSRIs

There’s also a link between the other SSRIs and better sexual stamina, including:

• Paroxetine (Paxil^®)

• Fluoxetine (Prozac^®)

• Escitalopram (Lexapro^®)

Research shows that all of these SSRIs may improve ejaculation time, with only mild side effects.

Premature Ejaculation Topical Treatments

Sprays, creams, and wipes might not be sex pills, but they can help treat premature ejaculation.

Take our Clockstopper Benzocaine Wipes and Clockstopper Climax Delay Condoms, for example. They contain the topical anesthetic benzocaine that can reduce penis sensitivity. 

Just apply these products 10 to 15 minutes before sexual activity. You’ll last longer without feeling numb or uncomfortable. 

Natural Sex Pills for Men: Do They Work?

Looking for a sex pill with natural ingredients? You might be considering dietary supplements like ashwagandha, ginseng, or horny goat weed, which claim to improve sexual function by either amping up your sexual desire or triggering an erection. Some of these products even claim to assist with penis enlargement.

Though they promise a lot, they’re not backed by much scientific evidence. Most of the studies supporting these claims involve animals, not humans, or have other problems. 

Here’s a breakdown of what the research says about natural remedies for ED and PE:

• Ashwagandha. Studies show that ashwagandha can increase testosterone levels, but its effects on sex drive and male sexual health may not be much better than a placebo.

• Ginseng. Some research shows that taking Asian ginseng may improve sexual function in men with ED, but it’s unclear how safe the herb is for long-term use. 

• Horny goat weed. This natural ingredient contains icariin, a mild PDE5 inhibitor, which works similarly to prescription ED meds. However, most research on the herb has been conducted on animals. More research on humans is needed to understand its effects on male sexual health. 

You can learn more about herbs, vitamins, and other men’s sexual health supplements in our guide to natural home remedies for ED.

The aforementioned PDE5 inhibitors boost blood flow to your penis by blocking the PDE5 enzyme. Since erections are all about healthy blood flow, these drugs make it easier for you to get and stay hard when you’re in the mood for sex.

As a reminder, FDA-approved PDE5 inhibitors include:

• Sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra^®)

• Tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis^®)

• Vardenafil (the active ingredient in Levitra^®)

• Avanafil (a newer medication sold as Stendra^®)

Unlike gas station sex pills that overpromise and underdeliver, genuine ED treatments actually work. For instance, a study revealed that 98.4 percent of men with erectile dysfunction who took sildenafil reported better erections.

ED and PE medications work well on their own, but they’re more effective when combined with a healthy lifestyle.

Simple habits like staying active can support healthy blood vessels and improve blood flow to your penis, helping you get and stay hard.

To get the best results from ED pills, try incorporating the following habits into your routine:

• Exercise multiple times a week to reduce your risk of developing diabetes, which is a major risk factor for ED

• Eat a balanced diet that’s high in complex carbs, lean proteins, and fibrous vegetables

• Limit foods that can impact heart health and blood pressure, like those high in saturated fat

• Quit smoking, which can damage your heart, lungs, and blood vessels, affecting your sexual performance

• Limit your alcohol intake, which can cause “whiskey dick,” a non-clinical term for the negative effects of alcohol on healthy erections 

You can learn more about maintaining a better lifestyle for your sexual health in our full guide to maintaining an erection naturally.

Around 30 to 50 million men in the United States deal with some level of erectile dysfunction. Fortunately, there are many FDA-approved prescription medications that treat ED and other sexual health issues like premature ejaculation.

Let’s recap what you should know about sex pills for men:

• “Sex pills” and penis enlargement pills are readily available, but they’re not all effective. Over-the-counter pills and supplements for sex aren’t backed by the same research as prescription medications.

• Some OTC options could actually be unsafe. FDA investigations have found that many sex pills for men contain hidden ingredients, including some that can result in dangerous drug interactions and other health problems.

• FDA-approved medications are your best bet for treating ED. Evidence-based PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil and tadalafil can help with sexual health issues. They’re also available as chewable ED medications, which contain the same ingredients as Viagra and Cialis in personalized dosages.

• Antidepressants might help, too. While they’re not approved for ED or PE, doctors sometimes prescribe SSRIs off-label for sexual dysfunction. 

Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all pill for sex. You’ll get the best results by using a treatment option that’s right for your needs. 

Curious about your options for improving your sex life? Get advice from a healthcare provider at Hims today.