The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Wearable Devices, and Sexual Medicine - Beyond the Abstract
November 14, 2024
Currently, AI-powered technologies are enhancing our understanding of reproductive health and sexually transmitted infections, and facilitating empathetic education and outreach to diverse populations. Additionally, innovative wearable devices are providing insights into men's erectile health, addressing ejaculatory concerns, and exploring women's orgasms in relation to pelvic floor muscles and clitoral blood flow.
Biographies:
Amy Pearlman, MD, Sexual Health Specialist, Prime Institute, Coral Gables, FL
Biographies:
Amy Pearlman, MD, Sexual Health Specialist, Prime Institute, Coral Gables, FL
Read the Full Video Transcript
Amy Pearlman: Hey, folks. My name is Dr. Amy Pearlman. I'm a board certified urologist with expertise in sexual, hormonal, and genitourinary health. And today, we are diving into this intersection of artificial intelligence and wearable devices in sexual medicine, a field that's advancing so rapidly and holds huge potential to transform how we understand and manage both male and female sexual health.
I recently published a review paper on this topic with my colleague, student Dr. Dana. And I'm excited to give you some behind the scenes when it comes to this abstract. So when it comes to artificial intelligence and sexual health, well, AI's role really dates back to the 1980s with computer-assisted semen analysis, which really set the stage for allowing objective analysis of parameters like sperm motility, concentration, and morphology.
AI also plays a very powerful role in sexual health education, and we've all heard of chat bots. And interestingly enough, chat bots are emerging as reliable and even empathetic sources for health information, especially for men who are hesitant to seek medical advice.
AI-driven tools provide users with anonymous, rapid STI screening and analysis, such as the He Health app, H-E Health app, which allows users to upload images which are anonymous for a quick, AI reviewed assessment of lesions, which can be an invaluable tool in places, especially with limited access to specialized care.
Now, when it comes to wearable devices, these devices are giving us data at our fingertips, and they're beginning to really offer in-depth, non-invasive insights into conditions like erectile dysfunction and even ejaculatory disorders.
Now, traditionally, assessing erectile dysfunction or function relied on patient reported outcomes and penile doppler ultrasound, both of which have their own limitations. Now, wearables like the Edison, the atom sensor, and the TechRing by FirmTech can now measure erection quality and duration in real-time.
This is the TechRing by FirmTech. And this device here has a pressure sensor and a strain gauge. You drop the testicles in here, you easily clamp this like so. And in real-time, it measures number of erections, how long they last, and how firm they are to provide some of that nocturnal information that right now is really difficult for us to actually gauge.
So this device here, this technology connects to a smartphone. And technologies like this can be used in the comfort of one's home to understand, what is the erectile fitness looking like outside of a doctor's office?
Now, the Myhixel device is similarly a wearable device. This is a class II medical device that actually mimics penile vaginal intercourse. There's a heating component here that heats this device to the temperature of a vagina. This is reusable here. It can just be washed out, goes in here.
There's a vibrator in here to add some neurostimulation, as well as sensors in here. So the man can actually use this to help train him to last longer in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy using this gamified app on a smartphone that guides men through exercises for managing premature ejaculation.
And there are sensors built into this device. So it will capture how long that person is lasting and not require that person to use what would typically be used, which would be a stopwatch or other timed measurements during sexual activity.
Now, for female patients, arguably or admittedly, we have way less-- way fewer devices out there, but they are emerging. And so this is very exciting. And devices like the Lioness smart vibrator can now offer insights into the pelvic floor muscle activity that's oftentimes tied to sexual pleasure.
And the research here is certainly early stage. Tools like these are going to be making huge strides in empowering women with data about their arousal patterns, which will open so many doors to many more tailored interventions.
Now, with having this conversation, we certainly need to briefly, at least briefly get into some of the ethical and privacy considerations that are big concerns when it comes to the use of AI and wearables in the sexual medicine space.
And many of these devices certainly handle sensitive data. So it's crucial that we as providers educate ourselves and our patients on how their information is being collected, stored, and protected. So transparency is going to be key as more AI-driven and wearable tech options emerge in our field of sexual medicine.
So this technology is right now giving us and will be giving us more unprecedented opportunities to really track and improve patient sexual health outcomes in ways that simply were not possible before.
With continued development and ethical oversight, AI and wearables are on track to revolutionize our understanding and treatment of sexual health conditions, providing real-time and individualized data that could elevate both patient education and clinical outcomes. Folks, thank you so much for watching. Keep an eye on this space. It's only going to grow. And staying informed will empower us to best serve our patient
Amy Pearlman: Hey, folks. My name is Dr. Amy Pearlman. I'm a board certified urologist with expertise in sexual, hormonal, and genitourinary health. And today, we are diving into this intersection of artificial intelligence and wearable devices in sexual medicine, a field that's advancing so rapidly and holds huge potential to transform how we understand and manage both male and female sexual health.
I recently published a review paper on this topic with my colleague, student Dr. Dana. And I'm excited to give you some behind the scenes when it comes to this abstract. So when it comes to artificial intelligence and sexual health, well, AI's role really dates back to the 1980s with computer-assisted semen analysis, which really set the stage for allowing objective analysis of parameters like sperm motility, concentration, and morphology.
AI also plays a very powerful role in sexual health education, and we've all heard of chat bots. And interestingly enough, chat bots are emerging as reliable and even empathetic sources for health information, especially for men who are hesitant to seek medical advice.
AI-driven tools provide users with anonymous, rapid STI screening and analysis, such as the He Health app, H-E Health app, which allows users to upload images which are anonymous for a quick, AI reviewed assessment of lesions, which can be an invaluable tool in places, especially with limited access to specialized care.
Now, when it comes to wearable devices, these devices are giving us data at our fingertips, and they're beginning to really offer in-depth, non-invasive insights into conditions like erectile dysfunction and even ejaculatory disorders.
Now, traditionally, assessing erectile dysfunction or function relied on patient reported outcomes and penile doppler ultrasound, both of which have their own limitations. Now, wearables like the Edison, the atom sensor, and the TechRing by FirmTech can now measure erection quality and duration in real-time.
This is the TechRing by FirmTech. And this device here has a pressure sensor and a strain gauge. You drop the testicles in here, you easily clamp this like so. And in real-time, it measures number of erections, how long they last, and how firm they are to provide some of that nocturnal information that right now is really difficult for us to actually gauge.
So this device here, this technology connects to a smartphone. And technologies like this can be used in the comfort of one's home to understand, what is the erectile fitness looking like outside of a doctor's office?
Now, the Myhixel device is similarly a wearable device. This is a class II medical device that actually mimics penile vaginal intercourse. There's a heating component here that heats this device to the temperature of a vagina. This is reusable here. It can just be washed out, goes in here.
There's a vibrator in here to add some neurostimulation, as well as sensors in here. So the man can actually use this to help train him to last longer in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy using this gamified app on a smartphone that guides men through exercises for managing premature ejaculation.
And there are sensors built into this device. So it will capture how long that person is lasting and not require that person to use what would typically be used, which would be a stopwatch or other timed measurements during sexual activity.
Now, for female patients, arguably or admittedly, we have way less-- way fewer devices out there, but they are emerging. And so this is very exciting. And devices like the Lioness smart vibrator can now offer insights into the pelvic floor muscle activity that's oftentimes tied to sexual pleasure.
And the research here is certainly early stage. Tools like these are going to be making huge strides in empowering women with data about their arousal patterns, which will open so many doors to many more tailored interventions.
Now, with having this conversation, we certainly need to briefly, at least briefly get into some of the ethical and privacy considerations that are big concerns when it comes to the use of AI and wearables in the sexual medicine space.
And many of these devices certainly handle sensitive data. So it's crucial that we as providers educate ourselves and our patients on how their information is being collected, stored, and protected. So transparency is going to be key as more AI-driven and wearable tech options emerge in our field of sexual medicine.
So this technology is right now giving us and will be giving us more unprecedented opportunities to really track and improve patient sexual health outcomes in ways that simply were not possible before.
With continued development and ethical oversight, AI and wearables are on track to revolutionize our understanding and treatment of sexual health conditions, providing real-time and individualized data that could elevate both patient education and clinical outcomes. Folks, thank you so much for watching. Keep an eye on this space. It's only going to grow. And staying informed will empower us to best serve our patient