Internet-based brief sex therapy for heterosexual men with sexual dysfunctions: a randomized controlled pilot trial.
If I would rather not sit in a room and discuss this, is there an online or self-directed sex therapy programme with evidence behind it that you'd point me to?
Reasonable evidence with real limitations. how we score evidence
Caveat on this rating: The authors call this a pilot trial, and it reads like one: the headline erectile-dysfunction result missed significance at P = 0.065, the premature-ejaculation arm was flatly negative, and the control condition was a waitlist rather than an active comparison. Sexual self-confidence — the outcome closest to performance anxiety — was a secondary measure, and improved only marginally (P = 0.05). No funding statement was available.
98 heterosexual men (58 with erectile dysfunction, 40 with premature ejaculation) were randomised to internet-delivered sex therapy with no face-to-face contact or to a waitlist. 48% reported their sexual functioning much or somewhat improved. In the erectile-dysfunction group the overall treatment effect only approached significance (P = 0.065), though sexual desire and sexual self-confidence were higher in treated men; in the premature-ejaculation group the treatment was not better than the waitlist at all.
Worth asking
If I would rather not sit in a room and discuss this, is there an online or self-directed sex therapy programme with evidence behind it that you'd point me to?
What to watch for
Evidence quality tells you whether to trust the finding — not whether the treatment is safe. These are the risks this research reports.
- Sexual side effects
Source
Internet-based brief sex therapy for heterosexual men with sexual dysfunctions: a randomized controlled pilot trial. — van Lankveld JJ, Leusink P, van Diest S, Gijs L, Slob AK. (2009)
Reputable peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01321.x
DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01321.x
How this was scored
- Study design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
- Published in
- Reputable peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- 98
- Preregistered
- No
- Conflicts disclosed
- No
- Independent of proponent
- not recorded
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Where we put this study in context
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "moderate evidence". Reasonable evidence with real limitations. It scores 57 out of 100 on our published rubric. One caveat travels with that badge: The authors call this a pilot trial, and it reads like one: the headline erectile-dysfunction result missed significance at P = 0.065, the premature-ejaculation arm was flatly negative, and the control condition was a waitlist rather than an active comparison. Sexual self-confidence — the outcome closest to performance anxiety — was a secondary measure, and improved only marginally (P = 0.05). No funding statement was available. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Internet-based brief sex therapy for heterosexual men with sexual dysfunctions: a randomized controlled pilot trial. — van Lankveld JJ, Leusink P, van Diest S, Gijs L, Slob AK. (2009). Published in: Reputable peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01321.x. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Randomised controlled trial. Funding: Funding not disclosed. Independence from the proponent is not recorded. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.