Lover, a sexual wellness app, which is partially funded by the founder of Tinder, conducted a small survey and found that boosting “erection confidence” in men could be the key to treating erectile dysfunction (ED) without the help of the little blue pill, Viagra.
The app is specifically designed to overcome the pressure on men having trouble getting and maintaining an erection for successful sex.
People using the app get access to videos that explain performance anxiety and provide tips on how to communicate during sex.
In the United States, ED affects 5% of men under 40, but that increases to 15% once they hit 70, according to the University of Washington. For most men diagnosed with, the obvious solution is the little blue pill.
However, the app’s survey conducted on 148 men who completed its three-week program found that 62% of them reported improvements in their erections. The figure comes close to 70% of men with ED who see results from Viagra, according to Harvard Health.
Chief Science Officer of Lover and Clinical Psychologist Dr. Britney Blair said most men who experience Ed for the first time get anxious.
Dr. Blair told Insider, “After this first experience, they may become anxious about their next sexual encounter fearing that they will again lose or not even be able to obtain an erection. This then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy which can lead to even more performance anxiety/pressure and often the avoidance of any sexual encounter.”
“If I were to hold a gun to your head and tell you to clap your hands and stomp your feet, no problem, as that is an active process,” she continued. “You have some control. If I were to take the same gun and ask you to obtain an erection — or have an orgasm so those without penises can relate — it would never happen.”
Lover app also provides exercises that help men to understand how erections naturally wax and wane so they can be relieved of the pressure and focus on pleasure.
Dr. Blair said, “We go into the many ways of experience and providing pleasure that do not require an erect penis or even a penis at all.” The article originally appeared on Insider.
