International Society for Sexual Medicine's Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Premature Ejaculation

A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of two doses of the tramadol orally disintegrating tablet for the treatment of premature ejaculation within less than 2 minutes

BACKGROUND

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a widely observed male sexual dysfunction with a major impact on quality of life for many men and their sexual partners.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety of tramadol orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) (Zertane) and its efficacy in prolonging intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) and improving Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP) scores.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

We conducted an integrated analysis of two identical 12-wk randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trials across 62 sites in Europe. Healthy men 18-65 yr of age with a history of lifelong PE according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision, and an IELT ≤ 120 s were included. There were 604 intent-to-treat subjects included in the analysis.

INTERVENTION

Subjects were randomized to receive 1:1:1 placebo (n=200), 62 mg tramadol ODT (n=206), or 89 mg tramadol ODT (n=198).

MEASUREMENTS

We measured overall change and fold increase in median IELT and the mean change in all four measures of the PEP. Differences across treatment groups were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, analysis of variance, and chi-square analyses.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Tramadol ODT resulted in significant increases in median IELT compared with placebo; increases were 0.6 min (1.6 fold), 1.2 min (2.4 fold), and 1.5 min (2.5 fold) for placebo, 62 mg tramadol ODT, and 89 mg tramadol ODT, respectively (p<0.001 for all comparisons). Men saw significantly greater improvement in all four measures of the PEP in both doses compared with placebo (p<0.05 for all comparisons). Tramadol ODT was well tolerated; study discontinuation occurred in 0%, 1.0%, and 1.6% of subjects in placebo, 62 mg, and 89 mg tramadol ODT groups, respectively. Limitations include study inclusion for men with IELT up to 120 s.

CONCLUSIONS

On-demand 62mg tramadol ODT is an effective treatment for PE in a low and safe therapeutic dose and provides a new option for managing mild to severe PE.

Psychosocial interventions for premature ejaculation

BACKGROUND

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a very common sexual dysfunction among patients, and with varying prevalence estimates ranging from 3% to 20%. Although psychological issues are present in most patients with premature PE, as a cause or as a consequence, research on the effects of psychological approaches for PE has in general not been controlled or randomised and is lacking in long-term follow up.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for PE.To investigate any differences in efficacy between different types of psychosocial treatments for PE.To compare psychosocial interventions with pharmacological treatment and pharmacological treatment in association with psychosocial treatment for PE.

SEARCH STRATEGY

Trials were searched in computerized general and specialized databases, such as: MEDLINE by PubMed (1966 to 2010); PsycINFO (1974 to 2010); EMBASE (1980 to 2010); LILACS (1982 to 2010); the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library, 2010); and by checking bibliographies, and contacting manufacturers and researchers.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials evaluating psychosocial interventions compared with different psychosocial interventions, pharmacological interventions, waiting list, or no treatment for PE.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Information on patients, interventions, and outcomes was extracted by at least two independent reviewers using a standard form. The primary outcome measure for comparing the effects of psychosocial interventions to waiting list and standard medications was improvement in IELT (i.e., time from vaginal penetration to ejaculation). The secondary outcome was change in validated PE questionnaires.

MAIN RESULTS

In one study (De Carufel 2006) behavioral therapy (BT) was significantly better than waiting list for duration of intercourse (MD (mean difference) 407.90 seconds, 95% CI 302.42 to 513.38), and couples' sexual satisfaction (MD -26.10, CI -50.48 to -1.72). BT was also significantly better for a new functional-sexological treatment (FS) (MD 412.00 seconds, 95% CI 305.88 to 518.12), change over time in subjective perception of duration of intercourse (Women: MD 2.88, 95% CI 2.06 to 3.70; Men: MD 2.52, CI 1.65 to 3.39) and couples' sexual satisfaction (MD -25.10, 95% CI -47.95 to -2.25), versus waiting list.One study (Li 2006) showed that the combination of chlorpromazine and BT was superior than chlorpromazine alone for IELT (MD 1.11, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.40), SAS (Self-rating Anxiety Scale) (MD -8.72, 95% CI -11.09 to -6.35) and for some CIPE (Chinese Index Premature Ejaculation) questions ('anxiety in sexual activity', 'partner sexual satisfaction', 'patient sexual satisfaction', 'control ejaculatory reflex' and 'ejaculatory latency') ('Analysis 1.2').One study (Yuan 2008) showed that citalopram significantly improved IELT (RR (risk ratio) 0.52, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.78) and the number of couples satisfied with their sex life after treatment (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.93), versus BT.In the last study (Abdel-Hamid 2001), 31 patients received 1 of 4 drugs administered on an as-needed basis 35 hours before anticipated coitus (clomipramine, sertraline, paroxetine, sildenafil), or were instructed to use the pause-squeeze technique. The study consisted of five four-week periods of treatment, separated by two-week washout periods. Anxiety score and ejaculation latency time were measured before treatment, after each treatment and during washout periods. Sexual satisfaction scores were measured after each treatment. However the available data from the article were not sufficient to be included, and the related database was not available anymore, according to the main author.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Overall, there is weak and inconsistent evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the treatment of premature ejaculation. Three of the four included randomised controlled studies of psychotherapy for PE reported our primary outcome (Improvement in IELT), and the majority have a small sample size. The early success reports (97.8%) of Masters and Johnson could not be replicated. One study found a significant improvement from baseline in the duration of intercourse, sexual satisfaction and sexual function with a new functional-sexological treatment and behavior therapy compared to waiting list. One study showed that the combination of chlorpromazine and BT was superior to chlorpromazine alone. Randomised trials with larger group samples are still needed to further confirm or deny the current available evidence for psychological interventions for treating PE.

Therapeutic targets for premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common male sexual complaint, and may exert a profound negative impact on the man's life and partnership. Using currently available treatment alternatives (e.g., selective serotonin uptake inhibitor, agents acting locally on the penis), PE can be treated in most, but not all patients. However, since long term success rates have been disappointing, and the only approved treatment so far is the short-acting selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor dapoxetine, there is currently an intensive search for new treatment modalities. Selection of the most promising therapeutic targets from a host of current and potential candidates depends heavily on their roles in the pathophysiology of PE. Possible central nervous targets that will be discussed are serotonin transporters, and CNS receptors for 5-HT(IA) and 5-HT(1B), dopamine, oxytocin, opioids, neurokinin-1, and glutamate. Putative peripheral targets include α(1)-adrenoceptors, phosphodiestrase enzymes, Rho kinases, purinergic (P2X) receptors, and penile sensory nerves. It is clear that exploiting the full therapeutic potential of these targets will require additional basic and clinical research.

Efficacy of dapoxetine in the treatment of premature ejaculation

Introduction

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual disorder which is associated with substantial personal and interpersonal negative psychological factors. Pharmacotherapy of PE with off-label antidepressant SSRI drugs is common. Development and regulatory approval of drugs specifically for the treatment of PE will reduce reliance on off-label treatments and serve to fill a unmet treatment need.

Aim

To review evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of dapoxetine in the treatment of PE.

Methods

MEDLINE and the proceedings of major international and regional scientific meetings during the period 1994–2010 were searched for publications or abstracts using the word dapoxetine in the title, abstract or keywords. This search was then manually cross-referenced for all papers. This review encompasses studies of dapoxetine pharmacokinetics, animal studies, human phase 1, 2 and 3 efficacy and safety studies and drug-interaction studies.

Results

Dapoxetine is a potent selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, which is administered on-demand 1–3 hours prior to planned sexual contact. Dapoxetine is rapidly absorbed and eliminated, resulting in minimal accumulation and has dose-proportional pharmacokinetics, which are unaffected by multiple dosing. Dapoxetine 30 mg and 60 mg has been evaluated in 5 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in 6081 men aged ≥18 years. Outcome measures included stopwatch-measured intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP) inventory items, clinical global impression of change (CGIC) in PE, and adverse events. Mean IELT, all PEP items and CGIC improved significantly with both doses of dapoxetine vs. placebo (P < 0.001 for all). The most common treatment related adverse effects included nausea (11.0% for 30 mg, 22.2% for 60 mg), dizziness (586% for 30 mg, 10.9% for 60 mg), and headache (5.6% for 30 mg, 8.8% for 60 mg), and evaluation of validated rated scales demonstrated no SSRI class-related effects with dapoxetine use.

Conclusion

Dapoxetine, as the first drug developed for PE, is an effective and safe treatment for PE and represents a major advance in sexual medicine.

Psychological impact of premature ejaculation and barriers to its recognition and treatment

BACKGROUND

Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common male sexual dysfunction, occurring in 20-30% of men. Unlike erectile dysfunction, which increases with age, rates of PE remain constant across the adult life span.

OBJECTIVE

To review the prevalence of PE, its psychological sequelae and barriers to effective treatment, treatment options, and the effects of treatment on the psychological burden of PE.

METHODS

PubMed and Embase databases were searched to identify primary papers related to PE published between 1980 and 2010. Key words included premature ejaculation, prevalence, quality of life, interpersonal relationships, psychotherapy, drug therapy, and treatment barriers.

RESULTS

Men with PE often suffer from significant psychological distress including anxiety, depression, lack of sexual confidence, poor self-esteem, impaired quality of life, sexual dissatisfaction, and interpersonal difficulties. Due to various reasons, however, most men do not seek treatment for PE. Many physicians are unaware of the distressful nature of PE and might be reluctant to ask patients about their sexual function. Nevertheless, increasing clinical research on pharmacologic treatment of PE, and the use of on-demand orally administered short-acting selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or topically applied local anesthetics, appears promising. Although few rigorous studies assessing psychotherapeutic treatments have been conducted, many clinicians report the success of psychological treatments for PE.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions drawn from this review are limited due to inherent variations across studies, including criteria to define PE, study designs, outcome measures, populations, survey instruments, and study settings. While the psychological distress associated with PE suggests the appropriateness of at least minimal counseling for couples, limited data are available to support a combined psychotherapeutic and pharmacologic treatment approach. The paucity of well-designed psychotherapy or combination studies represents an important unmet need in the treatment of PE.

The Global Online Sexuality Survey (GOSS): ejaculatory function, penile anatomy, and contraceptive usage among Arabic-speaking Internet users in the Middle East

INTRODUCTION

Sexuality is a sensitive issue that may be difficult to explore through surveys involving direct contact. Epidemiological studies in this domain are scarce. Online surveys may provide more anonymity and less direct contact encouraging participation. The Global Online Sexuality Survey (GOSS) reports on different aspects of male and female sexuality. The Global Online Sexuality Survey-Arabic-Males (GOSS-AR-M) is the Arabic version reporting on male sexuality.

AIM

To evaluate male ejaculatory function, penile size and contraceptive trends among Arabic speakers in the Middle East.

METHODS

The survey was randomly offered online to web surfers in the Middle East.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence of premature ejaculation, ejaculatory latency, penile size and their correlation with erectile function.

RESULTS

A total of 82.6% reported various degrees of premature ejaculation, associated with a statically significant decline in erectile function, despite a median intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of 5 minutes, 95% confidence interval (CI) of 8.4-9.8. Adjusted to the World Standard Population by the World Health Organization, the collective prevalence was 83.7%. Local anesthetics gave better results and tolerance in delaying ejaculation. Self-measured erect penile length from symphysis pubis to glans was 15.6 cm ± 4.1, 95% CI = 15.4-15.9, yet, 30% were dissatisfied with size, mainly in the flaccid state, with dissatisfaction being inversely proportional with erectile function. Intrauterine device was the method mostly used by couples, and condoms had a high dissatisfaction rate.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of premature ejaculation appears to surpass that of erectile dysfunction, despite the possibility that it may be overreported considering the acceptable IELT of the population surveyed. Premature ejaculation and concerns over genital size may be considered as risk factors for ED. More male contraceptive measures should be introduced and popularized. Alleviating dissatisfaction with condom utility via health education should be a priority.

Prevalence and correlates of premature ejaculation in a primary care setting: a preliminary cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Premature ejaculation (PE) is common. However, it has been underreported and undertreated.

AIMS

To determine the prevalence of PE and to investigate possible associated factors of PE.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted at a primary care clinic over a 3-month period in 2008. Men aged 18-70 years attending the clinic were recruited, and they completed self-administered questionnaires that included the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), International Index of Erectile Function, sociodemography, lifestyle, and medical illness. The operational definition of PE included PE and probable PE based on the PEDT.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Prevalence of PE.

RESULTS

A total of 207 men were recruited with a response rate of 93.2%. There were 97 (46.9%) Malay, 57 (27.5%) Chinese, and 53 (25.6%) Indian, and their mean age was 46.0 ± 12.7 years. The prevalence of PE was 40.6% (N = 82) (PE: 20.3%, probable PE: 20.3% using PEDT). A significant association was found between ethnicity and PE (Indian 49.1%, Malay 45.4%, and Chinese 24.6%; χ(2) = 8.564, d.f. = 2, P = 0.014). No significant association was found between age and PE. Multivariate analysis showed that erectile dysfunction (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.907, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.271, 10.604), circumcision (adjusted OR 4.881, 95% CI 2.346, 10.153), sexual intercourse ≤5 times in 4 weeks (adjusted OR 3.733, 95% CI 1.847, 7.544), and Indian ethnicity (adjusted OR 3.323, 95% CI 1.489, 7.417) were predictors of PE.

CONCLUSION

PE might be frequent in men attending primary care clinics. We found that erectile dysfunction, circumcision, Indian ethnicity, and frequency of sexual intercourse of ≤5 times per month were associated with PE. These associations need further confirmation.

The comparison of premature ejaculation assessment questionnaires and their sensitivity for the four premature ejaculation syndromes: results from the Turkish society of andrology sexual health survey

INTRODUCTION

In addition to the previously defined "lifelong" and "acquired" premature ejaculation (PE), the existence of two more subtypes of PE, namely "natural variable PE" and "premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction," has been proposed.

AIMS

To evaluate the diagnostic value of the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) and Arabic Index of Premature Ejaculation (AIPE) in a population-based study, in relation to their sensitivity across these four different PE syndromes and to assess the Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP) scores of patients with lifelong, acquired, natural variable PE and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction.

METHODS

Between June 2009 and December 2009, couples were randomly selected from 17 provinces of Turkey. Subjects with the complaint of ejaculating prematurely were classified as lifelong, acquired, natural variable PE, and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction according to the medical and sexual history they described. PE status was also assessed with PEDT, AIPE and PEP. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated for PEDT and AIPE in the study population whereas detection rates of these two questionnaires were also compared among the four PE syndromes. Moreover, PEP scores of patients with lifelong, acquired, natural variable PE and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction were compared. Significance level was considered as P < 0.05.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Scores obtained from PEDT, AIPE, and PEP questionnaires.

RESULTS

A total of 2,593 couples were enrolled where 512 (20.0%) male subjects reported PE. PEDT, AIPE, and PEP measures of the PE patients indicated worse sexual function (P < 0.001 each). Mean scores obtained from questionnaires were significantly better in patients with premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction and they were the worst in patients with acquired PE (P < 0.001 each). The sensitivity values of PEDT and AIPE were 89.3 and 89.5, whereas their specificity values were 50.5 and 39.1, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in detection rates of PEDT and AIPE among the four PE syndromes (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001). They were higher in acquired and lifelong PE and lower in premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction.

CONCLUSION

PEDT and AIPE can diagnose PE with high sensitivity, especially in patients with lifelong and acquired PE. The complaint of patients with acquired PE seems to be more severe than those complaining of lifelong, natural variable PE and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction patients.

Toward evidence-based genetic research on lifelong premature ejaculation: a critical evaluation of methodology

Recently, four premature ejaculation (PE) subtypes have been distinguished on the basis of the duration of the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). These four PE subtypes have different etiologies and pathogeneses. Genetic research on PE should consider the existence of these PE subtypes and the accurate measurement of the IELT with a stopwatch. Currently, three methods of genetic research on PE have been used. They differ in the investigated population, tool of measurement, study design, and variables of PE. From animal and human research, it is derived that the central serotonergic system "modulates" ejaculation, whereas the ejaculation (reflex) itself is probably not under direct influence of the serotonergic system, but rather under the influence of other neurotransmitter systems in the spinal cord. For genetic research on PE, it is important to take into account that the (serotonergic) modulation of the IELT is variable among men and may even be absent. This means that serotonergic genetic polymorphisms may only be found in men with PE who respond with an ejaculation delay treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor.