The Pill, Hair Loss & Erectile Dysfunction – 2021’s most requested medical treatments.

After a year of huge demand for online medical services, Webdoctor.ie reveals a 20%+ increase across top consultations over the past 12 months.  The Contraceptive Pill, Hair Loss and Erectile Dysfunction were the most requested treatments of 2021, according to new figures revealed by Webdoctor.ie, Ireland’s leading online GP service.

The awarding-winning Irish owned health technology platform also reveals that the top three most requested treatments for female Webdoctor.ie patients were for the Contraceptive Pill, Weight Management and surprisingly, Asthma. The most requested treatment for male Webdoctor.ie patients was for Hair Loss, followed closely by two common sexual health conditions – Erectile Dysfunction and Premature Ejaculation.

Top three treatments for female Webdoctor.ie patients:

Contraceptive Pill

Of those who had a contraceptive pill related consultation, 83% were aged 18-35, the majority of who were Dublin based. This figure dropped significantly for females aged 36-40, down to just 10%.

Weight Management

 With regards to those seeking lifestyle advice regarding nutrition and exercise, 70% were aged between 26-45.

Asthma

In relation to Asthma related consultations, a condition which is normally associated and diagnosed in childhood, 60% were aged 26-40 which was significantly higher than any other age group i.e., less than 10% of patients were under the age of 25, 13% aged 41-45 and just 17% of patients aged 46-65+.

Top three treatments for male Webdoctor.ie patients:

Hair Loss

Hair Loss was the most requested treatment for male Webdoctor.ie patients in 2021. While most would associate hair loss treatment with older men, 65% of patients availing of this service were aged 18- 35.

Erectile Dysfunction

Seeking help for Erectile Dysfunction or other sexual related conditions can often be delayed due to embarrassment, however, there was a significant surge in men seeking treatment for ED with webdoctor.ie in 2021, with consultations up 24% year on year. Nearly two third (63%) of patients were aged 40 or older.

Premature Ejaculation

Premature Ejaculation (PE), is one of the most common sexual medical conditions and clearly one that affects men of all ages with half (50%) of consultations at Webdoctor.ie aged 18-35, 14% aged between 36-40 and 26% were men over 40 years old.

Home Testing Kits

STI kits were the most popular home testing kits of 2021. Of those who ordered an STI Testing Kit, 86% were aged 18-40, the majority of who were Dublin based (almost 40%). This figure decreased significantly for people aged 41-65+, with just 14% of patients in this age group ordering home testing STI kits.

Commenting on these findings, David Crimmins CEO of Webdoctor.ie says:

“A clear outcome from these findings is that the demand for online medical services has been significantly accelerated due to Covid-19. Whether it’s an online consultation about hair loss, which was the most requested treatment for male Webdoctor.ie patients this year, an online prescription for the contraceptive pill or ordering a home testing STI kit, the statistics show that access to these services were in high demand throughout the last year.”

Webdoctor.ie patients can avail of same or next day appointments which offer access to expert and affordable medical advice, with Webdoctor.ie treating some of the most common illnesses from as little as €25.00.

Webdoctor.ie services include:

• GP Video Consultation: Available with one of Webdoctor.ie’s 40+ GPs, with same day or next day availability.
• Online Prescriptions: Over 20 prescription services are available 24/7/365, including the Oral Contraceptive Pill, Hair Loss, Erectile Dysfunction and many more.
• Home Test Kits: Kits available include tests for Sexual Transmitted Diseases, Cholesterol, Thyroid and many more.
• Covid-19 Test Referrals: Complete an online questionnaire reviewed by the Webdoctor.ie medical team and a referral for a COVID-19 test will be arranged if clinically appropriate.

Webdoctor.ie is an Irish owned health technology platform founded by healthcare and IT professionals who have conducted over 250,000 consultations since the business was founded in 2014. The company featured in the most recent Deloitte Fast 50 Technology Awards.

For more information visit www.webdoctor.ie.