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Your Tax Dollars at Work: FDA OKs Machine That Gives, Ahem, Hand-Jobs

By Jim Edwards

Updated on: July 29, 2011 / 9:13 AM EDT / MoneyWatch

The FDA has approved a vibrator for men with erectile dysfunction -- it's basically a mechanical hand with vibrating fingers.

Warning: This item may include material that may not be safe for work.

Reflexonics' scientific justification is that the Viberect (pictured) is safer than and just as effective as ED drugs like Viagra that are currently on the market, and that men with spinal injuries or prostatectomies can benefit from the physical stimulation that drugs don't provide.

But when you see the device in action (video below) you'll be hard-pressed to conclude that this is a medical breakthrough. It looks a lot more like a clever piece of marketing -- it's FDA approved! The FDA's approval means that the company could ask the government and private health insurers to cover the device if a doctor prescribes its use. If any of them said yes, you'll be paying for this thing in your taxes and employee healthcare benefit premiums. Reflexonics says* it has no plans to ask for insurance coverage, and adds:

This is NOT a sex toy. If is only prescribed by a doctor who determines whether his or her patient can benefit from this modality for improving their sexual function, whether it be ED or post surgery rehabilitation, or rigidity problems.

I am not convinced that Reflexonics is a medical device company in the commonly understood sense of the term. Reflexonics defines itself:

We are an urologist owned and operated US medical device company. We are dedicated to creating simple, intelligent, and physiological hand-held devices that millions of men and women can use to restore and preserve their sexual and urinary health.

But is that any different from a company that makes vibrators? And then there is the question of the situation in which this medical device would be used: A man who wants to have sex with a partner who is unwilling to "help"? That's a small medical niche indeed.

Of course, there is a long and amusing history of companies marketing sex toys as if they were something else. The Hitachi Magic Wand was launched in the 1970s as a muscle massager, but that ain't what it's used for.

The FDA didn't spend a great deal of resources considering the device. Its approval letter rubber-stamped the Viberect based on its similarity to existing devices.

*Correction: Reflexonics points out that there is a technical difference between FDA "approval" and FDA "cleared." Read the company's full response to this article in the comments section below.
Hat tip to Internet Drug News.
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