Digital therapy significantly improves sexual function in women

Sexual dysfunction is a reality for many women, but the subject remains taboo. A large percentage of women remain untreated, a problem that is exacerbated by the shortage of treatment options for female sexual dysfunction. A research team from GAIA in Hamburg, in cooperation with the Institute for Sexual, Psycho- and Trauma Therapy in Munich, the University of Lübeck, and the Medical School Hamburg, has now investigated the digital therapy "mylovia" The results of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) were published today in the peer-reviewed journal npj Digital Medicine and show a statistically significant and clinically relevant effect of mylovia.

mylovia supports women in overcoming sexual dysfunction to experience deeper pleasure and greater self-determination. The RCT enrolled 252 women aged 18 and above with a diagnosis of sexual dysfunction. After three months of using mylovia in addition to their usual treatment, a statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement in sexual function was observed in the intervention group compared to the control group (see graph). In addition, mylovia users reported significantly greater improvements in sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and thoughts and behaviors related to sexual pain. The digital therapy shows similar effect sizes to face-to-face psychotherapy for female sexual dysfunction. As a self-guided intervention, mylovia can provide affected women with access to treatment, helping to close the gender health gap.

We have a large problem in Germany regarding treatment options for women with sexual dysfunction. Even gynecologists are often at a loss when it comes to libido, arousal, orgasm, and pain disorders once organic causes are ruled out. That's why we're particularly pleased that mylovia can effectively support these women."

Wiebke Blaszcyk, sex therapist and study lead for mylovia at GAIA

mylovia is a digital therapeutic using evidence-based psychological and psychotherapeutic methods. mylovia provides affected women with practical knowledge and specific exercises. Its main feature is a virtual dialogue that delivers information in brief and focused segments. Users engage with the program by choosing from a set of predefined responses the one that best aligns with their interests or individual situations. This triggers an empathetic exchange where the system acknowledges each input before offering the next piece of knowledge. The resulting process creates a continuous dynamic that mirrors the flow of an actual conversation.

Based on the positive study results, mylovia has been submitted to the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) for reimbursement. If approved, the digital therapy would be prescribable by doctors and therapists as a Digital Health Application (DiGA), Germany's prescription-based digital therapeutics program.