A smartphone app could help men last longer in bed

A smartphone app designed to tackle the underlying psychological causes of premature ejaculation can significantly improve sex life and delay ejaculation, while offering a way to reduce stigma around the condition, say researchers. Data from the CLIMACS study are presented at the European Association of Urology Annual Congress (EAU26) in London. It is the first study to test a digital-first approach for treating premature ejaculation at home.

The app teaches men several therapeutic techniques, tips and exercises designed by urologists and psychologists, as well as offering evidence-based information to men about the condition. This guided training is designed to help men manage arousal and better control when they ejaculate. It includes mindfulness, arousal awareness exercises and cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as hands-on physical exercises to improve ejaculation control, like the start-stop technique.

Premature ejaculation is a distressing issue between the sheets, and everyone’s experience is different. Men with the condition typically ejaculate sooner than desired during sex and within 60 seconds of penetration. Affecting up to 30% of men, it is highly stigmatized, and only 9% of men seek medical help.

Causes of premature ejaculation are complex and include relationship issues and psychological factors like anxiety, stress and depression. For many men, this leads to worry and performance anxiety and can affect relationships, but the most commonly available treatments, like pills or creams, only limit the symptoms.

The German-based CLIMACS study tested whether the information and therapeutic techniques taught to men through the Melonga app could help to delay ejaculation. The researchers recruited 80 men without other underlying health conditions into the 12-week program. They were each given a series of health questionnaires about their physical and psychological experiences during sex and asked to use a stopwatch to measure the time from penetration to ejaculation.

After 12 weeks, men in the control group—who had been given no other support from the study to manage their condition—were offered access to the app and followed up for 12 weeks. In total, 66 patients submitted complete questionnaires.

For app users in the study, the total time from penetration to ejaculation doubled after 12 weeks, increasing by an average of 64 seconds (from 61 seconds to 125 seconds). Men in the control group saw an increase of just 0.5 seconds on average.

Men using the app reported significantly improved control of their ejaculation during sex, reduced worry linked to ejaculation, and a reduced impact on their relationship. There was also a significant improvement in sexuality-related quality of life measures, like enjoyment and confidence, in men who used the app, compared with no change in the control group.

After 12 weeks, 22% of men who used the app were no longer experiencing premature ejaculation, based on self-reported measures.

The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Christer Groeben from Marburg University and Medical Faculty Heidelberg at Heidelberg University, Germany, is presenting the study findings at EAU26. He said, “Many men who live with premature ejaculation don’t seek help because of the shame associated with the condition. Our study shows that as an at-home self-help tool, this can support men to improve control of their ejaculation and achieve a satisfying sex life without losing spontaneity.

“The most commonly available pharmacy therapies are designed only to treat the symptoms, not the cause, meaning many men discontinue them after a while. These men can remain undertreated and live with a considerable psychological burden that really starts to affect the quality of their relationships. Going to a doctor for help can feel like a big first step, and so an app like this can help to bridge that gap by normalizing the condition as treatable.”

Dr. Giorgio Russo, Associate Professor of Urology at University of Catania, Italy, and Chair of the EAU Office of Young Academic Urologists, said, “There’s much information and misinformation out there for men who find they have premature ejaculation, and so this app is devised by urologists and psychologists as a new way to bring together the most effective advice into a single, easily accessible and trusted, evidence-based resource.

“The research shows it can completely treat almost a quarter of patients, which is a huge development because these men were treated without pills. I think it would now be interesting to build on this research with a larger study and look at the impact of a digital approach on the satisfaction of partners, rather than just users.”

Final results of the CLIMACS study, which are not yet peer reviewed, are expected to be published later this year. The app is available in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Belgium.