Roman Swipes is a new product from a popular men’s health brand called Roman. They're applied to the penis prior to sex, and the brand claims that the Swipes are "clinically proven to help you last longer in bed."
But is there any evidence suggesting that topical wipes can treat premature ejaculation and improve sexual performance? What's actually in these wipes? Do they contain any ingredients that may be harmful? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Roman Swipes?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review medical research on the active ingredient in Roman Swipes to give our take on whether this product is likely or not to be effective and whether it causes side effects.
We'll compare the effectiveness of Roman Swipes to therapy, which is often recommended to patients experiencing premature ejaculation (PE). We'll also share real, unsponsored user reviews of Roman Swipes.
Do Roman Swipes Work?
Benzocaine at a concentration of 4% is the active ingredient in Roman Swipes.
Benzocaine is part of a class of medications called topical local anesthetics. This means that the drug reduces the sensitivity of nerve endings where applied. In the case of Roman Swipes, benzocaine is applied to the penis and thus may treat premature ejaculation and improve sexual stamina.
Roman cites one clinical trial on the Swipes page of their website, and claims that this trial proves that their product can increase sexual endurance by 340%.
The linked trial, published in the Journal of Men’s Health, examined whether benzocaine wipes at the same concentration as in Roman Swipes could reduce severity of premature ejaculation.
Trial participants either used benzocaine wipes or a placebo wipe, and were asked to measure their time-to-ejaculation several times over the course of two months.
The treatment was successful, with the average time-to-ejaculation increasing from 75 seconds at baseline to 330 seconds by the end of the second month. There was a significant increase in sexual duration between months one and two, which suggests that there may be even greater benefits to using benzocaine wipes for a longer period of time than two months.
We have not seen the results of this trial replicated in other clinical trials, but given that various local anesthetics have been successfully used to treat premature ejaculation for decades, according to medical research, we consider Roman Swipes likely to be effective.
Roman does not publish the full ingredients list on the product page of their website, which we believe they should, but we can confirm from the product’s FDA label that there are no potentially harmful additive ingredients. The only inactive ingredients are ethyl alcohol (used as a solvent), propylene glycol and purified water, which are all safe and non-toxic.
Do Roman Swipes Cause Side Effects?
One benefit of Roman Swipes in our opinion is that it’s unlikely to cause any side effects, given that it’s a topical treatment. Very little benzocaine, if any, will be absorbed systemically. This makes it a potentially safer option than prescription medications.
As we noted in our Bluechew reviews article, oral sexual enhancement drugs like Bluechew and Viagra can cause long-lasting side effects such as back pain and headache due to the systemic absorption of these drugs.
The clinical trial linked to in the previous section noted zero meaningful side effects. One patient using the medicated wipes reported a mild headache and back pain, but a patient using the placebo wipes reported a hernia. This suggests that neither symptom was related to the active drug ingredient.
One patient reported a mild, temporary irritation on the penis, which we consider to be a more likely side effect given that Roman Swipes are topical.
We consider Roman Swipes to have a superior side effect profile to most pharmaceutical drugs, and believe this is a significant benefit of the product.
Can Therapy Treat PE?
Behavioral therapy is often recommended to treat premature ejaculation, because the condition can be psychological in nature. If the patient is experiencing anxieties about sex, then speaking with a licensed therapist can help them work out those anxieties and last longer in bed.
A meta-study published in the Medical Sciences journal evaluated research on the various ways of treating premature ejaculation. The researchers found that behavioral therapy was an effective approach, but didn’t fully treat the problem over long periods of time in most cases.
65% of patients receiving behavioral therapy for premature ejaculation experienced short-term benefits, but only 25% of patients experienced long-term benefits. This data suggests that while therapy improves time-to-ejaculation, and should likely be considered because it has no downsides from a health perspective, it may not be effective for most men.
We consider Roman Swipes more likely to be effective than behavioral therapy for premature ejaculation, but patients can also try both approaches to see what works for them.
Real People Try Roman Swipes
A YouTube creator named “kpboix99” has a Roman Swipes review with over 75,000 views:
A YouTube creator named "Fin vs Fin" has an unboxing video for consumers who are interested in seeing how discreet the packaging is:
Where to Get the Best Price
Roman Swipes is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here's the price breakdown (per swipe) at the time of updating this article:
Brand website: $3.38 (link)
Walmart: $2.40 (link)
Amazon: $2.40 (link to official Amazon listing)
Amazon and Walmart currently have a better price per-unit than the brand's website, and also offer more flexibility, because the Roman website only offers subscription plans and no one-time order option.
For customers who want regular shipments, Roman's website is the more convenient option.
Real Customers Review Roman Swipes
Amazon allows for a more objective set of customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
Roman Swipes have been reviewed over 150 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "Daniel" who claims the product has a desensitizing effect:
"I ordered these after hearing about them from a female friend. After sampling the product, I can say that it does work and desensitizes the areas swabbed thus prolonging the heighten excitement. Get a box and sample, it can't hurt and your partner should be happier."The most popular negative review is from a verified purchaser named “Vee” who claims the product had no effect:
“It did not work for me. I wiped it throughly all over penis but has no affect. Disappointed. Not recommended. Try Leo spray. That stuff is incredible.”
Our Clean Men's Health Picks
Bulletproof Magnesium is our top overall testosterone support pick, because magnesium is a mineral that is clinically shown to increase free and total testosterone in athletes and in sedentary individuals.
Bulletproof Magnesium costs under $17 at the time of updating this article.
Momentous Tongkat Ali is our top herbal testosterone support pick, and costs under $20 at the time of updating this article.
Tongkat ali's effects on testosterone were reviewed in a 2022 meta-study, and the researchers concluded that "A significant improvement in total testosterone levels after [tongkat ali] treatment was mostly reported in both healthy volunteers and hypogonadal men."
Panax ginseng was shown in a clinical trial published in The Journal of Urology to increase erectile function scores were "significantly" compared to participants taking placebo pills.
Illuminate Labs sells a Panax Ginseng Extract supplement which is third-party tested, and costs only $15 on a subscription basis.
Roman Swipes Pros and Cons
Here’s our verdict on the pros and cons of Roman Swipes:
Pros:
- Likely effective
- Better option than therapy
- Free of major side effects
- Affordable
Cons:
- Not many clinical trials proving effectiveness
- Unimpressive user reviews
