Abstract
Our Special Collection with Therapeutic Advances in Urology and Therapeutic Advances in Reproductive Health includes five thought-provoking articles that examine sexual health across the lifespan and through multiple lenses. The articles highlight the progress we have made and the gaps that remain.
We begin with adolescence, the foundation upon which sexual health is built. Meherali et al. 1 systematically mapped the global evidence on digital knowledge translation tools for adolescent sexual and reproductive health. Their evidence gap-map highlights the promise and pitfalls of our digital age. Websites, mobile apps, short message service/text messages, digital pamphlets, gaming, social media, radio, television, and podcasts all lack research on their impacts. As digital platforms continue to shape how adolescents learn and connect, our public health efforts must evolve to ensure that access to accurate, inclusive, and culturally relevant sexual health information keeps pace.
Hammad et al. 2 explored a different type of digital curiosity—the rising public interest in stem cell therapy for erectile dysfunction. Their mixed-methods study reveals an increase in search trends despite the limited research demonstrating its benefit, with only two websites summarizing research results. This disconnect between public enthusiasm and clinical evidence serves as a cautionary tale for both patients and providers. In an era when hope can be commercialized, clinicians play a critical role in bridging the gap between curiosity and credibility, guiding patients toward safe, evidence-based treatments while encouraging research to evaluate emerging therapeutic interventions.
Two papers by Siegal et al. 3 and Salkowski and Levine 4 shift focus to the growing field of penile silicone sleeve implantation for penile enhancement. These studies, representing both single-surgeon and multi-institutional experiences, provide data on patient outcomes. They demonstrate that penile silicone implants can yield significant increases in flaccid length and girth with high satisfaction rates. Importantly, the surgical approach matters, with the lateral scrotal incision having reduced postoperative revisions and implant removals compared to the traditional infrapubic technique. 4 These findings are helping to advance our knowledge of penile enhancement techniques.
Finally, Santamaria et al. 5 remind us that sexual health is deeply intertwined with overall health. Their review evaluates the impact of weight loss, whether through lifestyle modification, medication, or surgery, on restoring testosterone levels and sexual function in men. When we address metabolic health, we also nurture hormonal and sexual health.
This Special Collection illuminates the spectrum of sexual health. It calls upon us as clinicians, researchers, and educators to approach sexual health as an integral component of well-being. The future of sexual medicine lies in collaboration between disciplines, generations, and technologies, to ensure each person has the knowledge, confidence, and access to live a sexually healthy life.
