Hard flaccid (HF) syndrome is a complex symptom that significantly impacts a man’s sexual and social life. Since there is currently only one case series available in the literature regarding HF syndrome, it has not been recognized as a real medical condition. HF syndrome has mostly been reported in several patient forums and its exact definition, prevalence, etiology, and treatment are unknown. We hereby, aimed to understand the nature of HF syndrome and how it is perceived among men. Online forum sites in the English language were systematically evaluated to perform a descriptive qualitative assessment. “Hard flaccid; forum” term was searched in Google^® and data were collected from forum posts. Datasets were analyzed using thematic analysis within a three-month period (September 2018–November 2018) and were combined to triangulate analysis. A total of 12 forum discussions, containing 6150 comments, were analyzed. Themes that arose included: “I would like to ensure that I have HF”; “How did I end up like this?”; “Seeking support for treatment choices – who will help me?”; “How can I cope with this condition?”. Thematic analysis revealed that most HF cases began after a traumatic event. The reported incidence of HF-related symptoms varies considerably. The most commonly associated symptoms of HF are penile semi-hardness in the flaccid state, penile sensory changes, erectile dysfunction, and emotional distress. Although it is not recognized by major medical authorities, many men appear to suffer from symptoms related to HF syndrome. Future basic science and clinical studies must be conducted to understand the exact pathophysiology of HF syndrome and to develop effective therapies.

硬性弛缓（HF）综合征是一种复杂的症状，会严重影响一个人的性生活和社交生活。由于目前在文献中只有一个关于HF综合征的病例系列，因此尚未被认为是一种真正的医学疾病。HF综合征主要在几个患者论坛中报告，其确切定义，患病率，病因和治疗尚不清楚。在此，我们旨在了解HF综合征的性质及其在男性中的感觉。系统地评估了英语在线论坛站点，以进行描述性的定性评估。“硬弱无力；论坛”一词在谷歌搜索^®并从论坛帖子中收集数据。在三个月的时间段（2018年9月至2018年11月）中使用主题分析对数据集进行了分析，并将其组合在一起进行三角分析。共分析了12个论坛讨论，其中包含6150条评论。出现的主题包括：“我想确保自己患有HF”；“我怎么最终这样？” ; “寻求治疗选择的支持–谁能帮助我？” ; “我该如何应对这种情况？”。专题分析表明，大多数心力衰竭病例是在创伤事件后开始的。报道的HF相关症状的发生率差异很大。HF最常见的症状是在松弛状态下的阴茎半硬度，阴茎感觉改变，勃起功能障碍和情绪困扰。尽管主要医学机构尚未认可，但许多男性似乎患有与HF综合征有关的症状。必须进行未来的基础科学和临床研究，以了解HF综合征的确切病理生理并开发有效的疗法。