A first-of-its-kind £220 wearable fitness tracker that attaches to the penis to monitor health has been launched in the UK.
The FirmTech Tech Ring can be worn during sex or at night, and special sensors detect nocturnal erections while men sleep.
This is used to create what the inventors call an “erectile fitness score,” which is displayed in the device’s paired app.
While this can obviously flag potential cases of erectile dysfunction, also called impotence, tracking penile performance could also save lives, the manufacturers claim.
Erections depend on healthy circulation to the penis, and any problems could indicate life-threatening problems, including heart disease and prostate problems.
The NHS estimates that half of men between the ages of 40 and 70 will suffer from erectile dysfunction, also called impotence, to some degree.
FirmTech’s appropriately named ‘Tech Ring’ uses a series of sensors to measure the cardiovascular health of the penis both during sexual intercourse and during nocturnal erections while men sleep.
Erectile dysfunction can also be an early warning sign of high blood pressure or diabetes.
In particular, high blood pressure is often described as a “silent killer” due to its lack of symptoms and the fact that it increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.
According to the NHS, an estimated 4.2 million people in England alone have undiagnosed high blood pressure.
Tracking nighttime erections, as Tech Ring does, could also help men discover the root cause of their impotence.
Men typically experience three to five erections per night, lasting about 45 minutes in total.
These nocturnal erections occur to help keep the penis healthy by sporadically flushing the organ with blood throughout the night.
If a man has erection problems during sexual intercourse, but his unconscious erections are normal, this could indicate that his impotence is caused by a mental problem such as stress.
On the other hand, if both sexual and nocturnal erections have problems, this could indicate a physiological problem.
FirmTech founder Dr. Elliot Justin described The Tech Ring as an electrocardiogram, a painless test that measures the electrical activity of the heart, “men’s most sensitive and favorite organ.”
It also claims that the device can help detect signs of erection problems in the early stages, allowing men to make lifestyle changes to improve the problem.
These include losing weight and eating a balanced diet, reducing alcohol consumption and stopping smoking.
The Tech Ring, made of a rubber-like material, extends around the penis and scrotum.
It is held firmly in place with a clasp on the top of the device so it can be worn both during intercourse and when the penis is flaccid.
British doctors have previously urged men to avoid penis rings, which some use as an impotence aid, and which are made of hard materials such as metal.
These rings carry the risk of getting stuck and strangling the penis by cutting off oxygen. This can lead to death of the organ and require subsequent amputation.
Shocking footage shows emergency medics forced to resort to power tools in a desperate bid to save men’s manhood in some cases.
As such, doctors advise men interested in wearing penis rings to opt for soft materials that can be easily removed in an emergency.
Erectile dysfunction is a common medical problem, especially as men age.
The NHS estimates that half of men aged 40 to 70 will suffer from it to some degree.
While many cases are occasional, if men repeatedly have trouble getting up, they should talk to their GP or a sexual health clinic.
These services may prescribe medications such as Viagra and devices such as vacuum pumps to directly help improve erections or therapy if the cause is psychological.
They can also help explore whether impotence is caused by a health problem that needs further investigation, such as high blood pressure or a hormonal imbalance.
Similar wearable rings have been released in the past to monitor aspects of penis health, such as nighttime erections.
