Shifts in trends of erectile dysfunction-related Google searches pre and post Covid-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability to achieve or maintain penile erections that are sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. It is a prevalent global health issue influenced by multiple physiological and psychological factors. The Covid-19 pandemic has signif...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MRE Press
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Men's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://oss.jomh.org/files/article/20250627-576/pdf/JOMH2025030201.pdf |
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| Summary: | Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is defined as the inability to
achieve or maintain penile erections that are sufficient for satisfactory sexual
performance. It is a prevalent global health issue influenced by multiple
physiological and psychological factors. The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly
affected public health behaviors, including online health information-seeking
patterns. This study aimed to evaluate ED-related online search trends in Saudi
Arabia before, during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: Google
trends (GT) was used to analyze search interest for “erectile dysfunction”,
“sildenafil” and “tadalafil” across three periods: pre-pandemic (January
2016–February 2020), pandemic (March 2020–June 2022) and post-pandemic (July
2022–January 2024). The terms were chosen as they represent general ED awareness
and the two most used phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors (“sildenafil”
and “tadalafil”). Statistical analyses included the Mann-Kendall test for trend
significance and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni correction
to compare search densities across study periods. Results: The average
monthly percentage change (AMPC) for all search terms was 0.003 (p <
0.001). One-way ANOVA results revealed significant differences in search
densities across the study periods (p < 0.001), showing a sustained
post-pandemic increase compared with pre-pandemic levels. Sildenafil was the most
searched ED medication in Saudi Arabia. Conclusions: This study
highlights the pandemic-driven shift in ED-related online searches, which raises
concerns for self-medication and emphasizes the importance of structured public
health efforts to address ED awareness and treatment in Saudi Arabia. |
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| ISSN: | 1875-6867 1875-6859 |