Premature Ejaculation is the most common male sexual dysfunction affecting 20-30 % of men at all agesby PEhomepage.com Editorial Team
Premature Ejaculation is presented in patients as rapid and uncontrolled ejaculation occurring before, on or shortly after penetration. Master’s and Johnson were one of the first researchers to describe this sexual dysfunction in details and develop behavioral techniques to treat it.
Definition: PE is defined by many medical associations but the most acceptable and used definition is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for PE include the following: 1) persistent or recurrent ejaculation with minimal sexual stimulation before, on, or shortly after penetration and before the person wishes; 2) causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty; and 3) is not exclusively due to the direct effects of a substance.
Short ejaculatory latency time and lack of control over ejaculation present only one aspect of the condition. The dysfunction as described above could have important psychological consequences such as personal distress, dissatisfaction with sex, interpersonal difficulties leading to breakdown of relationships, low self esteem and low self-confidence.
Although PE is a very common sexual dysfunction very few men seek medical treatment for it, mainly because of lack of awareness for the condition and the available treatments.
The two oldest and most commonly recommended behavioral therapy techniques are the stop and start and the squeeze techniques. The stop and start technique recommends that the man should stops intercourse and withdraws from his partner when he feels he is getting close to ejaculate and then penetrate again when he feels he has regained his control over ejaculation. The squeeze technique recommends squeezing the pennies and preventing ejaculation when the man feels he is almost ejaculating.
With time, the man is supposed to lean how to control his ejaculation and avoid ejaculating early. The effectiveness of these techniques has been studied but is still questionable because of the lack of information on long-term maintenance of the effect. Sex therapy, provided by psychologists and psychiatrists will focus on improving communication between partners and reducing the anxiety related to sexual performance that could lead to an increase in the man’s control over his ejaculation.
Medical therapy could be divided into two categories, local and systemic treatments.
Local treatments available include different anesthetic creams. The most commonly used are combinations of two anesthetic agents, prilocaine and lidocaine. These cream are effective but reduce or diminish sensation for the men and his partner and therefore are not widely used. An alternative therapy studied in
Korea, the SS-cream has shown significant improvement in ejaculatory latency time with mild side effects.
The most commonly used systemic therapies are antidepressant drugs called SSRIs (Serotonin Selective Reuptake Inhibitors). These drugs have been studies in the treatment of PE and were shown to be effective. SSRIs include paroxetine, fluoxetine, sertraline and others. A new short acting SSRI, dapoxetine
( Priligy ™ ) is being specifically developed for the treatment of PE.
Many alternative therapies are currently available for the treatment of PE with high success rates reported. These include combinations of Chinese herbs, homeopathic remedies and many more.
In summary, PE is a very common male sexual dysfunction with important impact on men and there partners. Therefore, awareness should be increased and more men should seek treatment to resolve their problem. 
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