Hims vs. Roman 2024: What to Know About These Men’s Health Services

Hims and Roman are telemedicine brands offering treatments for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, and other men’s health issues. We found that Hims offers more options, while Roman may offer lower prices.

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Hims and Roman are rising telemedicine brands that seek to give customers treatment services for erectile dysfunction (ED), premature ejaculation (PE), and other health issues without relying on traditional healthcare systems.

But how do these two companies, their products, and their services stack up against one another?

Read on to see how they compare, and how you can decide which one may work for your needs.

What does Hims offer?

Hims is a men’s health brand founded in late 2017 when, as the story goes, the sister of founder Andrew Dudum commented on his skin issues.

Focused on full-service telemedicine for men’s health, Hims provides digital management tools for appointments, prescriptions, and generic medications for common ED treatments, like sildenafil (Viagra) and tadalafil (Cialis).

Hims also has services and treatment offerings for:

hair loss

premature ejaculation

skin care

mental health

Hims has also created partner brand Hers, which addresses women’s healthcare needs through the digital management of appointments, prescriptions, and treatments.

Looking for more info on Hims? Read our full Hims ED review.

REVIEW SCORECARD

Hims ED Medications

4.3out of 5healthline scoreTreatment Options5Website Experience4Convenience4Cost3.5Service Availability5SHOP NOW AT HIMS

What does Roman offer?

Roman is an offshoot of a company called Ro. It was founded in 2017 as an “end-to-end” healthcare service. Its services are aimed directly at consumers, with minimal obstruction from healthcare professionals, physicians, and pharmacies.

Since its founding, Roman has aggressively advertised this service. It’s become a recognized brand in the men’s health space, especially for its generic Viagra (sildenafil) and generic Cialis (tadalafil).

Roman’s primary service is helping you access healthcare on its platform. This includes:

making appointments

getting prescriptions

having easy access to a physician to guide you through your questions and concerns

Looking for more info on Roman? Read our full Roman ED review.

REVIEW SCORECARD

Roman ED Medications

4out of 5healthline scoreTreatment Options5Website Experience3.5Convenience4Cost3.5Service Availability4SHOP NOW AT RO

What is the difference between Hims and Roman?

	Hims	Roman
ED treatments	• Viagra• sildenafil• Cialis• tadalafil• Stendra• compounded medications	• Viagra• sildenafil• Cialis• tadalafil• compounded tablets and gummies
PE treatments	• sertraline• lidocaine spray	• sertraline• benzocaine wipes
Hair loss treatments	• finasteride and minoxidil spray• hair loss serum• minoxidil foam• chewable medications• finasteride pills• thickening shampoo and conditioner	• finasteride pills• minoxidil pills• topical spray• shampoo and conditioner• topical minoxidil
Price	starting at:• $15 per month for hair loss medication• $2 per dose for certain ED medications• $19 per month for PE treatments	starting at:• $16 per month for hair loss medication• $4 per dose for certain ED medications• $24 per month for PE treatments
Healthline score	4.3/5	4.0/5
Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating	A+	A+
Shipping	• free shipping• discreet packaging	• free 2-day shipping• discreet packaging
Insurance	not covered by insurance	not covered by insurance

ED and PE treatments offered through Hims and Roman

In addition to their telemedicine services, Hims and Roman both offer ED medications called phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors. They come as oral tablets.

PDE5 inhibitors help the smooth muscles relax, so blood vessels allow more blood flow into the penis for an erection.

You need a prescription from a healthcare professional to access these:

sildenafil (Viagra)

tadalafil (Cialis)

avanafil (Stendra)

Keep in mind that many of these ED treatments are similar in how they work but may come in different doses. These doses may take different lengths of time to take effect and may be taken at different intervals, such as daily or weekly.

Some medications used to treat ED are prescribed off-label. This means doctors have found therapeutic use for a medication outside of what the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved it for.

Each service also offers PE treatments. These include a lidocaine spray from Hims and benzocaine wipes from Roman.

You can also get sertraline from either service. This oral tablet is used off-label for PE. It has the same active ingredient as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant Zoloft.

For PE, sertraline helps you last longer before ejaculating during sex or masturbation. However, it’s worth noting that SSRI use has been tied to sexual dysfunction in some people. Talk with your prescribing healthcare professional if you begin to experience any symptoms of sexual dysfunction while using sertraline.

Finally, both services offer compounded medications for ED. Compounded medications are specially formulated for a specific use case. They contain the same active ingredients as their FDA-approved counterparts, but they sometimes come in different forms and contain additional ingredients. Compounded medications are not FDA approved.

Examples of these medications include Hims Hard Mints and Ro Daily Rise Gummies.

A general rule when taking any new medication, whether it’s completely new to you or from a different manufacturer or supplier, is to note how you feel and any side effects. Discuss these with your doctor in a follow-up appointment.

Though the FDA may approve a category of medications with active ingredients like sildenafil or tadalafil, versions on the market may contain additional ingredients or have different doses that can affect you differently.

SHOP NOW AT HIMS SHOP NOW AT RO

Hims vs. Roman price comparison

	Hims	Roman
Sildenafil	$4 per use	$4 to $10 per dose
Viagra	$139 per use	$90 per dose
Tadalafil	$40 per month based on daily doses	$8 to $44 per dose
Cialis	$32 per dose or $1,045 per month	$20 to $80 per dose
Sertraline	$49 per month	$24 per month
Stendra	$53 per use	—
Benzocaine wipes	$19 to $22	$22 to $27 per month
Finasteride	$22 per month	$20 per month
Minoxidil	$15 to $19 per month	$16 to $30 per month
Finasteride and minoxidil	$39 per month	$50 per month

How do these ED medications and PE treatments work?

Here’s how some medications that both Hims and Roman sell work for ED and PE.

Sildenafil and tadalafil

Typically, when your penis nerves are stimulated, smooth muscles around the spongy tissue in your penis, called the corpus cavernosa, relax and let blood flow into this tissue to engorge it. This results in an erection.

With ED, this process is disrupted.

Sildenafil and tadalafil are in a class of drugs called PDE5 inhibitors.

These medications stop the production of the enzyme PDE5. This allows your body to produce higher levels of nitric oxide and relax your penis muscles, letting sufficient blood flow into the penis for an erection.

Lidocaine and benzocaine

Typically, stimulated nerves in your penis use sodium to communicate signals to the central nervous system called action potential. But you can get too stimulated and ejaculate earlier than you want.

Benzocaine and lidocaine help block sodium channels so nerve signals can’t take place. This means you’ll feel less sensation or none at all, so the sensation of sex or masturbation doesn’t overstimulate you.

Some people find this helps them with performance and lowers some anxiety around sex.

Hims vs. Roman customer reviews

Although each company may promise easier alternatives to traditional healthcare, the marketing bluster can sometimes be deceiving.

It’s worth checking out official company websites and third-party review sites, such as Trustpilot. These can give you the broadest, unbiased sense of what to expect from these companies based on personal experiences.

Here’s what customers have to say about each of these brands.

Hims customer reviews: Is Hims worth trying?

We tested Hims from the initial sign-up stage through prescription delivery

To better understand what people can expect when ordering through Hims, one of Healthline’s project managers asked their partner to sign up for Hims hair loss treatments and test the service for over a month. Here is what they had to say:

“Setup was easy on their website. I just had to create an account on their website, submit photos of the top of my head, and then they got back to me within a day or so and approved my prescription.”

The packaging was also very discreet, which may be comforting to many users.

“Delivery was pretty quick and well-packaged. Their brand name is very small on the outside of a small cardboard package.”

Hims does not offer refunds on certain prescription medications due to regulatory controls around selling and reselling medications.

But as its website states, Hims does allow you to pause or cancel any subscription service without charge if you pause or cancel at least 48 hours before your next scheduled purchase or delivery.

Hims pros, according to customers

Packaging is discreet.

Products work as intended, including unexpected effects like more stamina from ED products.

The website is easy to use and understand.

It’s easy to start orders and subscriptions.

Hims cons, according to customers

Some shipments arrive late or not at all.

Customer service representatives are difficult to reach, with waits of 2 weeks or longer for responses.

Some customers have experienced unauthorized subscription charges that have not been refunded for months.

Some have had difficulty canceling orders.

Some have experienced unintended side effects, such as rashes, from using skin care products.

As of July 2024, Hims is rated at 3.88 out of 5 stars on the BBB website and has over 4,000 customer reviews. Many of the reviews cover the same concerns listed above.

Get Started With Hims

Roman customer reviews: Is Roman worth trying?

Like Hims, Roman does not offer refunds on prescription medications for regulatory reasons. However, if you feel that the company made an error filling your prescription, you can email them for a resolution.

Roman is rated at 1.13 out of 5 stars on the BBB website from 39 customer reviews as of July 2024.

Here is an overview of what customers have to say on the BBB:

Roman pros, according to customers

Products arrive quickly, usually within 1 week.

One customer’s experience with Viagra and supplements was very positive.

Roman cons, according to customers

Customer service representatives may not respond in a timely manner.

Some customers have experienced unauthorized charges for canceled subscriptions.

Some have been charged for subscriptions that were never delivered.

Customers have concerns about personal information privacy.

There is a lack of flexibility in choosing a doctor for telemedicine appointments.

Get Started With Ro

Company and brand reputation

Both Hims and Roman are relatively young companies and don’t have extensive track records. This means most complaints and legal action against these companies may not be publicly available.

It can take years for enough consumer reports and evidence to build up before a lawsuit can be successfully filed and taken to court. But here’s what we were able to find that may be relevant to each of these companies.

Hims reputation

To date, the FDA has not released warning letters targeting any products or services from Hims. In addition, no lawsuits have been publicly filed against the company.

Roman reputation

As with Hims, no FDA warning letters or lawsuits against the Roman brand or the Ro company have been issued or filed.

Safety and side effects

Here are some common side effects to watch out for when using any of the medications offered by Hims and Roman.

PDE5 inhibitor side effects

Side effects of PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil, tadalafil, and avanafil include:

rashes

flushed skin

redness

achy muscles

sore throat

back pain

headache

runny nose

upset stomach

erection longer than 4 hours (priapism)

blurry vision

A serious side effect can occur when taking PDE5 inhibitors with nitrates that you might use to regulate blood pressure. These two medications are contraindicated and could cause potentially life threatening hypotensive (low blood pressure) effects.

If you are currently taking nitrates or blood pressure medication, or have a history of heart attacks or strokes, it’s important to share this information with your doctor before starting any PDE5 inhibitors.

Sertraline side effects

Side effects of sertraline can include:

nausea

appetite loss

diarrhea

upset stomach

sleepiness

difficulty falling asleep

sweating a lot (hyperhidrosis)

feeling shaky

exhaustion

agitation

Benzocaine side effects

Benzocaine is a common numbing agent and is generally considered safe. It’s even used to help numb you before dental procedures.

Here are some uncommon but possible side effects of benzocaine:

skin flaking

skin feeling tender where you wiped

itchiness

burning and stinging

warmth or skin redness

Looking for more in-depth reviews?

You can take a closer look at these other online services and how they compare with Hims and Roman by reading some of our other reviews:

Best Online Services for Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Pills in 2024

BlueChew vs. Hims: Products, Services, Pricing, and Reviews

BlueChew vs. Roman: Which Is Better?

When to talk with a doctor

One of the biggest benefits of Hims and Roman is that you can get an online consultation with a physician and be prescribed medications sent directly to your home.

However, there’s no substitute for meeting in person with a doctor, if you’re able to.

If you have any concerns or questions that you don’t think these online professionals can address, consider talking with a primary care doctor. They can also order additional tests, if necessary, to rule out any other potential causes for what you are experiencing.

There may be a chance that recent changes to daily nutrition, mental health, or lifestyle may be contributing to your symptoms. If that’s the case, your doctor can help build a more personalized treatment plan for you. They can also recommend a local urologist or specialist who can meet with you.

Also, if you experience any concerning side effects as a result of medications received through Hims and Roman, your doctor would be a good resource to reach out to for help.

Frequently asked questions about Hims and Roman

Is Roman the same as Hims?

No. Although they are both men’s health brands, Hims and Roman are not owned by the same parent company. Both companies provide healthcare services, medications, and treatment options for common issues, such as hair loss, skin concerns, and ED.

Does Hims or Roman have Viagra?

Yes, both Hims and Roman offer brand name Viagra as well as generic Viagra — called sildenafil. In fact, while many online ED medication companies just offer sildenafil, only a few reputable companies, like Hims and Roman offer brand-name Viagra online to treat ED symptoms.

Are Roman and Hims covered by insurance?

No, Roman and Hims are not covered by insurance.

Do Hims and Roman work for ED? What pills are best for erectile dysfunction?

Hims and Roman offer brand-name and generic medications for ED, such as Viagra (sildenafil), Cialis (tadalafil), and avanafil. Whether those medications work for ED depends on the person and the cause of the ED.

Is Roman’s online pharmacy legit?

Yes, Roman’s online pharmacy is legitimate. While some products can be sold over the counter without a prescription — like at your local pharmacy — other products will require a prescription from one of Roman’s licensed healthcare professionals. They will discuss and review your medical history with you before prescribing and shipping the medication.

Takeaway

Both Hims and Roman aim for the same goal: easing access to sexual health and wellness while helping remove the stigma around common health issues like ED.

The choice is ultimately up to you, as both companies have pros and cons. But the choice should be centered around what service works for you and which one you believe will address your specific health needs.

Posted : 2024-08-29 10:49

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