A new study suggests a smartphone app specifically designed to address the underlying psychological causes of premature ejaculation could help men last longer in bed.
Researchers say the discreet, at-home self-help tool could also benefit men who are hesitant to seek professional help due to feelings of shame.
The Melonga App guides users through a number of therapeutic techniques, tips and exercises developed by urologists and psychologists to help men manage arousal better and also includes elements of cognitive behavioural therapy and physical exercises intended to improve ejaculation control.
The Climacs study, led by researchers in Germany, included 80 men with no underlying health conditions who took part in a 12-week programme.
Each was given a series of health questionnaires about their experiences during sex and was asked to use a stopwatch to measure the length of time between penetration and ejaculation.
Some 66 patients submitted complete questionnaires at the end of the 12-week period.
Researchers found that app users doubled the time from penetration to ejaculation by an average of more than a minute, from 61 seconds to 125 seconds.
Men who did not use the app experienced an increase of 0.5 seconds on average.
At the end of the 12 weeks, some 22 per cent of app users reported no longer experiencing premature ejaculation.
Lead researcher Dr Christer Groeben, of Marburg University and Medical Faculty Heidelberg at Heidelberg 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.
“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.
“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 normalising the condition as treatable.”
Melonga is currently available in Ireland, Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Belgium.
Findings from the study have been presented at the European Association of Urology Annual Congress (EAU26) in London.
Dr Giorgio Russo, associate professor of urology at University of Catania in Italy, and chairman 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.”
