text_1: When Size Matters, Men Can Turn to Penile Extenders: Study
text_2: The lack of cost information was a significant hole in the story, and there was no discussion of the limitations of the study or alternatives to treatment, especially given that the consensus in this story appears to be that most men with dissatisfaction about their penis size are suffering from a perception problem, not a physical problem. With some of these improvements, the story could have provided a much better service to readers. There’s a lesson in this story for journalists to do a better job checking conflicts of interests in sources. The story didn’t disclose that one of the authors has conducted research on a penile traction device and is quoted on the company’s advertising materials. Penile enhancement — along with hair replacement — is one of the most popular medical interventions targeted at men, and it is often the purview of medical providers outside the mainstream. Because men who perceive themselves as being sexually inadequate are particularly vulnerable to aggressive marketing about ostensible cures, it is especially important to evaluate the claims being made by plastic surgeons and the like. This story does a decent job doing just that. Several of our grades for different criteria were toss-ups, but we hope that our comments – far more important than the overall “star score” – will help guide journalists and consumers in evaluating the evidence.