Trends in Research on Premature Ejaculation Over the Past 25 Years

Abstract

Introduction The authors posit that, among other things, the increasing popularity of pharmacological remedies has reinvigorated research interest in premature ejaculation (PE). However, the authors also posit that the emphasis has shifted from psychological–behavioral studies to biological–pharmacological studies, thereby distracting researchers from potent psychological/relationship factors known to play important roles in the recovery of overall sexual satisfaction. Aim To explore actual patterns of research on PE, the authors determined trends in the overall quantity and focus of PE research over the past 25 years. Methods The two major databases, PsychINFO and MEDLINE, were searched from 1979 to 2006 using several key words to identify all PE-related publications. Main Outcome Measures Referenced articles on PE were cataloged by year and assigned to broad hypothetically and empirically based categories representing different approaches to the study of this dysfunction. Results MEDLINE, but not PsychINFO, exhibited a large increase in publications on PE over the past decade. Although the number of publications on PE increased only in MEDLINE, the 25-year trend showed a decline in the proportion of psychological behavior articles in both databases and a concomitant rise in biological and pharmacological articles. Conclusions Although several explanations might account for these research trends, the authors worry that researchers are missing the opportunity to investigate important biobehavioral interactions underlying ejaculatory response and dysfunction, and to augment the current biopharmacological paradigm by integrating cognitive–behavioral and sex therapy programs into pharmacological PE treatment.

Urologist Practice Patterns in the Management of Premature Ejaculation: A Nationwide Survey

“…Nevertheless, in the absence of other practice patterns surveys regarding the treatment of PE, we believe our data represent a reasonable gauge of how PE is managed in contemporary urology practices. Additional research is needed to further characterize this disorder from not just the biological but also from the psychological and interpersonal standpoints [14]. Further understanding of these factors will enhance our ability to treat this condition and improve the sexual function of our patients.…”

Distribution and Factors Associated with Four Premature Ejaculation Syndromes in Outpatients Complaining of Ejaculating Prematurely

“…Premature ejaculation (PE) is one of the most common sexual complaints in men, affecting approximately 20% to 30% of the male population at one time . Over the past decade, many studies have attempted to provide clearer guidelines for its definition and diagnosis and to explore new biomedical treatments for PE . Although PE is generally understood, and associated diagnostic criteria have been proposed , the real prevalence of PE has been poorly understood until recently, due to the lack of a universally accepted definition of the disorder .…”

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

“…The pace of research on psychologically based treatment for PE has fallen far behind that of drug studies, in part, because funding for cognitive-behavioral treatments is essentially nonexistent 54 . Comparisons of psychologically-based treatment versus drug therapy are flawed because the outcome measures used in the former are much less rigorously tested than those used in contemporary drug studies 53 .…”

“…It is not unreasonable to speculate that, similar to treatments for ED, physicians may soon face the need to be more familiar with potential drugs used to treat PE. The literature on PE has increased markedly in the past 30 years, largely due to studies of new drug treatments 53,54 . A number of different pharmacologic treatment modalities are in clinical development, but to date none has received FDA approval for PE.…”

“…Since the 1960s, the field of psychotherapy in general has advanced considerably to include cognitive-behavioral techniques that are effective for many different types of disorders 54 . Anecdotal evidence suggests that the application of contemporary cognitive-behavioral approaches is successful for many clinicians, but studies of validated and well-described methods of psychologically based or behavior-based treatments are lacking 5,51,53 .…”