The Next Frontier in Health Monitoring: Wearable Technology for Sexual Wellness

Pioneering physician challenges taboos and proposes data-driven approach to sexual health at international biohacking event

Revolutionary Devices Signal Cardiovascular Problems Before Traditional Diagnostics

In a groundbreaking presentation that merged health technology with sexual wellness, Dr. Elliot Justin urged attendees at the Biohacker Summit in Helsinki to reconsider how we monitor one of the most overlooked aspects of human health.

"You can't hack it unless you track it," declared Dr. Justin during his Tuesday address at the international gathering of health optimizers and technology enthusiasts. The emergency medicine physician and founder of FirmTech presented compelling evidence that sexual function serves as a critical "canary in the coal mine" for cardiovascular health.

At the heart of his presentation "Smarter and Harder" was a startling revelation: nocturnal erections, which occur in both men and women, function as leading indicators—not merely associations—of cardiovascular health.

"When we say lead indicator, we mean it's predictive," Dr. Justin explained to the Helsinki audience. "If your number of nocturnal erections goes down from 5 to 2 or 4 to 0, you will have a heart attack or a stroke in the next few years."

The Silent Epidemic of Sexual Dysfunction

The statistics Dr. Justin presented paint a concerning picture: by age 50, sexual dysfunction affects 50% of men and 54% of women, rising to 70% of men by age 70. This widespread issue remains largely unaddressed by healthcare systems globally.

"You can't expect the World Health Organization, your National Health Service, or your doctor to help you with this," Dr. Justin cautioned. "It's up to you."

Contributing factors range from common medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension to widely prescribed medications, including antidepressants and antihypertensives—which Dr. Justin informally termed "Clinton cock killers" for their sexual side effects. Environmental factors also play a role, with diet, obesity, endocrine disruptors, and microplastics all potentially impacting sexual function.

"We're all on the road from fitness to dysfunction," Dr. Justin noted. "We all would like to know where we are on that road and if we have a problem, stop where we are and ideally make a U-turn."

Wearable Technology: The New Frontier

Dr. Justin's innovation—the TechRing, which won "Most Innovative Sex Toy of the Year" in 2023—represents a significant advance in health monitoring. Unlike conventional sexual devices focused solely on pleasure, these next-generation wearables collect vital health data.

For men, the TechRing measures nocturnal erections and can be worn during sexual activity to assess performance. Dr. Justin reported that two users of the device have already undergone cardiac catheterization procedures after the ring detected concerning declines in their nocturnal erections.

For women, a device called the Clitique is under development. Tested on 38 women and presented at the International Society of Sexual Medicine conference in Dubai last December, it measures clitoral blood flow and engorgement.

"The urologist right now calls the penis the canary in the coal mine of cardiovascular disease," Dr. Justin explained. "It's just a question of time before gynecologists say the same thing about the clitoris."

Beyond Data: Health Benefits of Sexual Activity

Dr. Justin's presentation extended beyond monitoring technologies to the broader health benefits of regular sexual activity, citing research showing that daily sexual activity can halve cortisol levels, while twice-weekly sex can reduce cardiac risk by 50% in people over 70.

"We talk a lot about work-life balance. We should be talking about work-life-sex balance," Dr. Justin advocated. "We doctors make recommendations about diet, exercise, sleep... We need to start making recommendations about sex."

Personalized Health Through Data

The core argument of Dr. Justin's presentation centered on empowering individuals to become "N of 1" researchers in their own sexual health, using precise data to determine what interventions work for them specifically.

"I'm a doctor. If everyone here came to me in the conventional doctor world with high blood pressure, I would put you all on the same pill," he acknowledged. "And that's stupid. We need to empower you with knowledge that's unique, that you can take care of yourself."

This personalization extends to evaluating supplements, medications, and treatments. Dr. Justin noted that FirmTech users are already testing whether interventions like shockwave therapy or testosterone injections actually improve their sexual function.

The Future of Sexual Health Monitoring

As the Biohacker Summit continues through Wednesday in Helsinki, Dr. Justin's vision of widespread adoption of sexual health wearables suggests a future where monitoring sexual function becomes as routine as checking heart rate or step count.

"People will use wearables to enhance their sexual performance. They will use wearables to find out vital, potentially life-saving data about their sexual health and their cardiovascular health," Dr. Justin predicted.

His closing message to the audience was direct: "Put a ring on it for your health. Put a ring on it to perform better. Put a ring on for your partner."

In challenging conventional approaches to health monitoring and broaching a topic often considered taboo in medical settings, Dr. Justin's presentation at the Biohacker Summit represents a paradigm shift in how sexual wellness might be integrated into broader health optimization strategies—less as a lifestyle choice and more as an essential health indicator deserving of technological innovation and scientific attention.

Frequently asked questions

How common is sexual dysfunction?

Dr. Elliot Justin told the Helsinki audience that by age 50 it affects 50% of men and 54% of women, rising to 70% of men by age 70. He argued the issue remains largely unaddressed by healthcare systems, and that responsibility therefore falls to the individual.

What does the TechRing measure?

For men it measures nocturnal erections and can be worn during sexual activity to assess performance. Justin, an emergency medicine physician, positioned it as a health-monitoring device rather than a pleasure device, on the principle that you can't hack it unless you track it.

What are the health benefits of regular sexual activity?

Justin cited research showing that daily sexual activity can halve cortisol levels, and that twice-weekly sex can reduce cardiac risk by 50% in people over 70. We talk a lot about work-life balance, he said; we should be talking about work-life-sex balance.

About the event

This recap is part of the Biohacker Summit 2024 Helsinki series, recorded in Helsinki on 2 and 3 July 2024. Read the summary of the whole event or join the next edition, HOLOLIFE Summit 2026 Amsterdam, on 14 and 15 November 2026.