The Best Apps for Sexual Health and Wellness
For years, we’ve been able to harness mobile technology to keep better tabs on our health: from the advent of the fitbit to the Apple watch, we know how many steps we take, how many calories we consume, and how many hours of sleep we get.
But until semi-recently, sexual health has been largely left out of the universe of mobile apps. Until some savvy health experts and entrepreneurs got together to solve common sexual problems from the convenience of your smartphone.
As a sex coach, I see many clients who come to me with a myriad of sexual issues: from physical sexual difficulties, to elusive orgasms, to low sexual desire, and more.
In this article, I’ve compiled 6 of my favorite mobile apps that can help with some of these sexual issues, empower you with knowledge about your health and habits, and ultimately, improve your sex life.
Dipsea: erotic stories and guides for sexy inspiration
Modern life can be a libido killer. When you’re grinding through the days, an imaginative sex life can feel out of reach.
That’s what Dispea is for. With 10-20 minute erotic audio stories, complete with audio details that enhance the sense of pleasure, you can reignite your libido -- and that spark of inspiration in the bedroom.
What I love: Dipsea’s sexy audio stories includes diverse themes for both straight and queer listeners. There’s something here for everyone.
But audio porn isn’t the only place Dipsea shines. The app also comes with educational programs that guide you through the “how-to’s” of sex: including the how-to’s of dirty talk, the low-down on self-love, erotic body mapping (by yours truly), BDSM basics, sexting basics, and even guided masturbation.
You can also play games with your partner to get to know each other better in a sexy way. (For example, the game “36 Questions” helps you and your partner discover your deepest desires together.)
2. Clue: Cycle and Fertility Tracking
A great sex life starts with understanding your body. And understanding your body is easier when you know what’s going on with your cycle. (For example, I have clients who didn’t realize their chronic headaches were directly related to their cycle, or that their libido was always higher in the first half of their cycle.)
Especially if you’re starting to think more about your fertility, knowing how long your menstrual cycle lasts, when you ovulate, and when to expect your period can remove the guesswork around fertility and can arm you with data the next time your doctor asks for “the date of your last period”.
The Clue App analyzes your cycle and enhances its predictions the longer you use the app. It helps you accurately identify the first day of your period and period duration, plus they offer TONS of info about fertility and why it can be so tricky to predict. This can be extremely helpful if you’re trying to get pregnant (or not).
The app includes a wealth of educational content produced by Clue’s science and medical team, so you can better understand how your body works and the “why” behind your monthly symptoms.
3. Apple’s Health App: Track sexual activity (and other health info!)
It can be hard to remember how often you and your partner actually have sex. Memory can be less than trustworthy.
This usually crops up as an issue when a couple has mismatched libidos. Your partner might be happy with the frequency of your lovemaking, but you might feel like it’s not enough. But it’s hard to have a conversation if you think you have sex twice a week and your partner thinks its more like twice a month.
That’s why it can be useful to track how often you have sex in Apple’s Health App -- so you have fewer questions and more data.
Even if tracking sexual activity doesn’t sound sexy to you, keep in mind: monitoring how often you have sex can inspire you to have more of it. (after all, when we start tracking something, we tend to pay more attention to it.)
But of course, that’s not all Apple’s Health App is useful for. Track as much health information as you’d like: how much exercise you get, how many hours of sleep you get at night, your nutrition, daily symptoms, and much more. (A healthy, happy life can lead to a healthier sex life!)
4. Lioness - track your orgasms with the biofeedback vibrator
Data nerds, listen up, because Lioness is the only vibrator in the world that can show you hard data behind your own orgasm.
Using precision sensors during your self-pleasure sesh, the Lioness biofeedback vibrator tracks factors that make your orgasms better or worse: stress, alcohol, sleep, partners, and more.
Have fun experimenting, and discover how to achieve your most intense, mind-blowing orgasms ever.
Have a resolution learn how to orgasm? Lioness is a fantastic way to track your progress. If anything, it’s a cool way to get acquainted with the pleasure and orgasms your body is capable of experiencing (big and small), and offers a deeper glimpse into the mechanics of pleasure.
5. XConfessions - Figure out where your desires overlap with your partner’s.
It can be hard to talk openly about your desires and fantasies… so hard in fact, that sometimes it’s easier to ignore your desires all together and keep on with your sex routine (no matter how boring it gets).
The XConfessions App makes it easy to figure out where your desires overlap with your partner without having to wade through hours of potentially awkward conversation and even embarrassment.
So, how does it work?
Think of it like Tinder for fantasies, playfulness, and kink. After you login, you’re invited to connect with your partner, and you can then swipe through hundreds of sexual fantasies, from “let’s record ourselves masturbating and watch the video together” to “wake me up with oral sex” to “whip me”.
Just like any dating app, swipe right if you’re down to try it, and left if you’d rather not. What’s cool about it: you get notified when you and your partner have a match!
Worried about your partner finding out something about you that you’re not quite ready to reveal? Elite Daily said it best, “the fantasies you swipe left on will never be seen by your partner. They'll also never see a card you swiped right on that they didn't.
Simply put, the only things you know your partner is interested in are the ones you're also interested in.”
6. Meditation Apps (Such as Headspace, Chopra, and Liberate) for cultivating mindfulness and managing stress
You might wonder how good, old-fashioned meditation can improve your sex life. Here’s the thing: meditation is a secret weapon that can help you connect with your body and become more present for the sensations of sex.
Research backs this up. According to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia that surveyed 451 women aged 19 to 70, women who meditated reported better sexual functioning, higher levels of sexual desire and arousal, enhanced lubrication, and better, more frequent orgasms versus women who never meditated.
If that wasn’t enough, meditation can also help alleviate pain during sex.
These Sex Apps Are a Great Addition to Sex Coaching or Sex Therapy.
Sometimes, app-generated insights are all you need to overcome a sexual challenge. But often, more personalized, active support in the form of sex therapy or sex coaching can be far more effective in targeting the source of the issue and helping you achieve a more pleasurable, satisfying sex life.
Click here to learn more about sex and dating coaching with me.