Vi-app-gra? Scientists develop new app that helps men last longer

By Stephen Beech

Men can last longer in bed with the help of a new smartphone app, say scientists.

The software was designed by experts to tackle the underlying psychological causes of premature ejaculation.

It can "significantly" improve sex lives and delay climax - while offering a way to reduce stigma around the condition, according to the German research team.

More than one in five men (22%) who used the app for 12 weeks were no longer experiencing premature ejaculation, according to early results from the CLIMACS study.

The Melonga App - currently available in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Belgium - teaches men numerous therapeutic techniques, tips and exercises designed by urologists and psychologists.

The techniques offered through the app were developed by premature ejaculation experts, sexologists and urologists from Belgium, Germany, Finland and the United States.

The research team say the guided training is designed to help men manage arousal and better control when they ejaculate.

It includes mindfulness, arousal awareness exercises and cognitive behavioural therapy, as well as hands-on physical exercises to improve climax control.

Lead researcher, Dr. Christer Groeben of Marburg University, 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."

Around three in 10 men are believed to affected by premature ejaculation, but only 9% seek medical help due to the condition being highly stigmatized.

Experts say causes can include relationship issues and psychological factors such as anxiety, stress and depression.

But the most commonly available treatments, including pills and 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 research team recruited 80 men without any other underlying health conditions into the 12-week programme.

The participants 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 received no other support from the study to manage their condition – were offered access to the app and followed up for 12 weeks.

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, such as 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.

Dr. Groeben said: “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 under-treated and live with a considerable psychological burden that really starts to affect the quality of their relationships."

He added: "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. Groeben is due to present findings from the CLIMACS study at the European Association of Urology (EAU) annual congress in London on Saturday, March 14.

EAU's Dr. Giorgio Russo welcomed the findings.

He 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."

Dr. Russo, an Associate Professor of Urology at the University of Catania, Italy, added: "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 are expected to be published later this year.