Pearls & Perspectives: Wearable Technology and the Future of Sexual Health, With Elliot Justin, MD

Welcome back to Pearls and Perspectives!

In this episode of Pearls & Perspectives, host Amy Pearlman, MD, is joined by Larry Lipshultz, MD, and emergency physician and digital health innovator Elliot Justin, MD, FACEP, for a conversation on the intersection of sexual health and wearable technology. Justin shares how an unexpected challenge from colleagues in sexual medicine led him to develop technology aimed at objectively measuring nocturnal erections, with the goal of providing men and their physicians new insights into both erectile and cardiovascular health.

The discussion explores the science behind nocturnal erections and their potential role as an early indicator of vascular disease, as well as the evolution of Justin's smart erection ring from a diagnostic tool into a device designed to help men sustain erections. Pearlman and Lipshultz examine the physiologic rationale behind the technology, discussing its potential applications, limitations, and the distinction between age-related changes in erectile function and pathologic erectile dysfunction. The conversation also highlights broader questions surrounding how erectile dysfunction is defined, diagnosed, and discussed in clinical practice, emphasizing its role as a gateway for engaging men in preventive health care.

The conversation then turns to women's sexual health, where Justin introduces an investigational device designed to measure clitoral blood flow and physiologic changes associated with arousal. The panel discusses the parallels between male and female sexual anatomy, the longstanding lack of objective tools for evaluating female sexual function, and the potential for wearable technologies to bring more personalized, data-driven approaches to women's sexual health. Pearlman also reflects on the importance of normalizing conversations around sexual wellness for both men and women and encouraging innovation in a field that has historically been underserved.