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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, a global leader in the development of evidence-based digital therapy systems, has investigated the digital therapy “mylovia” in cooperation with researchers from MSH Medical School Hamburg, University of Lübeck, and Institute for Sexual, Psycho- and Trauma Therapy in Munich. The results of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) are now published in npj Digital Medicine and show a statistically significant and clinically relevant effect of mylovia.
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 (https://www.gaia-group.com), a global leader in the development of evidence-based digital therapy systems, has investigated the digital therapy “mylovia” in cooperation with researchers from MSH Medical School Hamburg, University of Lübeck, and Institute for Sexual, Psycho- and Trauma Therapy in Munich. The results of the randomized controlled trial (RCT) are now published in npj Digital Medicine and show a statistically significant and clinically relevant effect of mylovia.
The RCT enrolled 252 women aged 18 and above with a diagnosis of female sexual dysfunction and female sexual pain disorder. After three months of using mylovia, a statistically significant and clinically relevant improvement in sexual functioning and pain was observed in the intervention group compared to a control group, mylovia users reported significantly greater improvements in sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, and thoughts and behaviors related to sexual pain. The digital intervention 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.
Wiebke Blaszcyk, sex therapist and study lead for mylovia at GAIA, explains: “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.”
mylovia is a digital therapeutic using evidence-based psychotherapeutic methods. The intervention provides affected women with practical knowledge and uses therapeutic 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 physicians and psychotherapists as a Digital Health Application (DiGA), Germany’s prescription-based digital therapeutics program.
Wiebke Blaszcyk, M.Sc. Psych.
GAIA AG
Hans-Henny-Jahnn-Weg 53
22085 Hamburg
Telephone: +49 40 3510520
E-mail: wiebke.blaszcyk@gaia-group.com
Prof. Dr. Johanna Schröder
Professur für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie
MSH Medical School Hamburg
University of Applied Sciences and Medical University
Am Kaiserkai 1
20457 Hamburg
Telefon: +49 40 - 3612264 - 9263
E-mail: johanna.schroeder@medicalschool-hamburg.de
Blaszcyk, W., Büttner, M., Betz, L. T., Riepenhausen, A., Jacob, G. A., & Schröder, J. (2026). Digital intervention mylovia improves sexual functioning in women with sexual dysfunction in randomized controlled trial. npj Digital Medicine, 9, 115. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-026-02385-z
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