A SEX coach phone app can help men last longer in bed, a study shows.
Scientists tested the programme called “Melonga” on 80 blokes suffering from premature ejaculation.
It causes men to climax too quickly during sex and is one of the most common bedroom woes, affecting a third of men.
The £330 app uses a 12-week programme that combines learning about the condition’s causes, behavioural therapy and “hands-on” exercises.
It shows messages encouraging men to slow down, control their excitement and reduce anxiety.
After three months, a fifth of the chaps in the trial – 22 per cent – said they were cured of premature ejaculation.
Trial leader Dr Christer Groeben, from Marburg University in Germany, said: “As an at-home self-help tool, this can support men to improve control of their ejaculation and achieve a satisfying sex life.”
App inventor Abhinav Jain, managing director of Prognoix, added: “Many men end up learning about sex from pornography or through trial and error.
“This can sometimes reinforce unrealistic expectations or habits that make control more difficult.
“Many also miss the importance of communication with their partner.
“What our app users experience is essentially a digital coach that helps them recognise and manage arousal during sex.”
The study, revealed at the European Association of Urology Congress, tested the effect of lessons, videos, quizzes and exercises in the app.
It offers men prompts like: “Notice when your excitement starts rising. Recognising this moment is the first step to gaining control.”
Another says: “If you feel close to climax, pause stimulation and take a few slow breaths. Let the sensation settle before continuing.”
It included more than 25 physical exercises including start-stop methods to try and last longer.
After the 12-week programme, the men’s average time from penetration to ejaculation doubled from 61 seconds to 125 seconds – adding a minute to their performance.
In a group of men who did not use the app the average increase was less than a second.
Users also said they felt less worried and happier and more secure about their relationship.
The developers suggest it could work better than medication or numbing creams because it tackles the underlying causes of the problem.
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