PRP Therapy and the P-Shot for Erectile Dysfunction in Abu Dhabi
Platelet-rich plasma therapy, offered under names such as the P-Shot, injects a concentrate prepared from the patient's own blood into the erectile tissue. It is established practice in regenerative andrology in the UAE, it is consistently well tolerated across the randomised trials, and in mild to moderate erectile dysfunction several of those trials and their meta-analyses report improvement in erectile function scores. It is used as part of a treatment plan built on a diagnosis, not as a substitute for making one.
- Confidential consultation
- Consultant Urologist & Andrologist
- NMC Royal Hospital, Abu Dhabi
Dr. Juan Uría González-Tova · Consultant Urologist & Andrologist · NMC Royal Hospital Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi
Medically reviewed by Dr. Juan Uría · August 19, 2026
Take the self-assessmentTwo minutes. Nothing is sent or saved.The preparation is straightforward: blood is drawn, spun to concentrate the platelets, and the resulting plasma is injected into the penis under local anaesthesia. Platelets release growth factors, and the intention is that delivering them into the erectile tissue supports vascular and nerve repair — treating the tissue rather than only the symptom, which is what distinguishes the regenerative approach from medication taken before intercourse.
The trial evidence is worth stating precisely, because it is genuinely mixed and a patient deserves the real picture. The first double-blind randomised trial found a clinically meaningful improvement in 69% of men treated against 27% on placebo at six months, and meta-analyses published between 2024 and 2025 pooling three to seven randomised trials found in favour of PRP on erectile function scores. Against that, a randomised trial in 2023 found no difference from placebo, and a 2026 meta-analysis restricted to PRP given on its own found the pooled effect not statistically significant, with high variation between studies. Safety is the one point on which the trials agree: adverse events have been minor and uncommon throughout.
Two practical conclusions follow. The first is that protocol matters: platelet concentration, volume, number of sessions and separation system differ between studies and between clinics, which is a large part of why results differ, and it is why the procedure belongs with a urologist working to a defined protocol rather than wherever it is cheapest. The second is that combination looks stronger than PRP alone — a 2025 meta-analysis of seven randomised trials found that adding PRP to low-intensity shockwave therapy improved erectile function scores significantly more than shockwave on its own.
Check your own symptoms
PRP expectations check
A structured expectations screen written for this page. There is no validated questionnaire for PRP because the evidence base is not yet strong enough to have produced one — so instead of scoring your suitability, these questions check that what you are expecting matches what the published trials have actually shown.
Platelet-rich plasma for erectile dysfunction is investigational. Small randomised trials exist and some show a modest benefit over placebo, but the evidence is not strong enough for it to appear in the EAU or AUA guidelines. Answer honestly — the point of this is to protect you from paying for a disappointment.
Question 1 of 6
Choose the closest answer
What the assessment involves
The assessment before PRP is the assessment any man with erectile dysfunction needs, and it is what makes the treatment a decision rather than a purchase. It establishes the mechanism, rules out what erectile dysfunction can be signalling, and sets a baseline against which the result can actually be measured.
Clinical and sexual history, with a baseline IIEF-5 score so that any improvement can be measured rather than recalled
Cardiovascular, metabolic and hormonal screening, since a treatable cause found here changes the plan
Penile Doppler ultrasound where the vascular contribution needs confirming, which also identifies the men in whom the regenerative approach is best supported
Blood count and coagulation review, and a check of any medication affecting platelets or bleeding
A conversation about what the evidence does and does not show, the protocol to be used, and what will count as success
Treatment
The procedure takes about an hour. Blood is drawn, centrifuged in a closed system to concentrate the platelets, and the plasma is injected into the corpora under local anaesthetic with a fine needle. Discomfort is brief, there is no downtime beyond avoiding intercourse for a couple of days, and bruising settles within a week. A course is two to three sessions spaced about a month apart rather than a single injection, which is how the trials that found a benefit were designed.
The protocol is fixed and written down, because the absence of a standard is the main reason published results conflict. Platelet concentration, volume, injection technique and the interval between sessions are the same every time and are recorded, so that a result — good or absent — means something and can be compared against the next course rather than against an impression. An IIEF-5 score before and at three months is part of the treatment, not an optional extra.
PRP is most often given as part of a combined course with low-intensity shockwave rather than on its own, which is where the evidence is strongest, and alongside whatever else the assessment called for — oral medication, hormone correction, cardiovascular risk management. It is not offered to a man who has not been assessed, and it is not offered as a way of avoiding a diagnosis. Where a course produces no measurable change, that is said plainly and the plan changes.
Evidence
The statements about effectiveness on this page rest on the following published studies.
- Poulios E, et al. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Improves Erectile Function: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. J Sex Med. 2021;18(5):926–935. doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.03.008
- Masterson TA, et al. Platelet-rich Plasma for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial. J Urol. 2023;210(1):154–161. doi:10.1097/JU.0000000000003481
- Deabes M, et al. Evaluating the efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma injection for erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sex Med Rev. 2024;12(4):739–746. doi:10.1093/sxmrev/qeae018
- Zhou Z, et al. The efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) alone or in combination with low intensity shock wave therapy (Li-SWT) in treating erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials. Aging Male. 2025;28(1):2472786. doi:10.1080/13685538.2025.2472786
- Jacob D, et al. Current advances in platelet-rich plasma therapy for erectile dysfunction: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Sex Med. 2026;23(1). doi:10.1093/jsxmed/qdaf325
Common questions
01What do the trials actually show?
In mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, several randomised trials and the meta-analyses pooling them report improvement in erectile function scores lasting to six months, while one randomised trial and the most recent meta-analysis of PRP given alone did not find a significant difference from placebo. The honest summary is that the evidence supports it as a reasonable option in the right patient and does not yet allow anyone to promise a result. The sources are listed at the end of this page.
02Is it safe?
This is the best-established part of the picture. Because the plasma comes from the patient's own blood there is no risk of immune reaction to it, and across the randomised trials adverse events have been minor and uncommon — bruising, swelling, discomfort for a few days, and the small infection risk carried by any injection. It is performed under sterile hospital conditions.
03Is it better combined with shockwave therapy?
The evidence points that way. A 2025 meta-analysis of seven randomised trials found that adding PRP to low-intensity shockwave therapy improved erectile function scores significantly more than shockwave alone. The two act on the same vascular mechanism by different means, which is the rationale for combining them, and it is why the regenerative protocols offered here are built as courses rather than single injections.
04Does it replace tablets or the rest of the assessment?
It does not replace the assessment. Erectile dysfunction frequently has a correctable cause — medication, hormones, sleep, metabolic disease — and it can be the first sign of cardiovascular disease, none of which an injection addresses. What PRP can do is treat the tissue rather than the moment, which is why men often choose it alongside or after established treatments rather than instead of a proper work-up.
Book a consultation
Consultations take place at NMC Royal Hospital, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, in English, Spanish or Catalan.
Related topics
This page is general medical information and does not replace individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have symptoms, seek assessment from a licensed physician.