Opinion: Direct-To-Consumer Medicine Can Be Quick And Discreet, But What’s Lost?

National Public Radio

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If you’re on Instagram or if you’ve taken the New York City subway lately, chances are you’ve heard of Hims, the men’s health and wellness company with a penchant for advertisements featuring suggestive cacti and eggplants against pastel backgrounds. The Web-based startup targets the young male demographic with skin care products, multivitamins and erectile dysfunction medications.

In January, just a few months after its first birthday, the company joined Silicon Valley’s vaunted “unicorn” club: It received a venture-capital investment that put its valuation at $1 billion.