Working with Minority Populations and Cultural Differencesby PEhomepage.com Editorial Team
It is important to realize that various cultures and ethnicities do not view premature ejaculation the same way that researchers attempt to define it. For example, one study, reported by Althof, found significant differences in the number of men who felt they had a problem with premature ejaculation and the number of men who were willing to report it. Caucasian, African-American and Hispanic men reported that they experienced premature ejaculation always/almost always in the previous 3 months 16%, 21%, or 29%, respectively.
Minority patients are often reluctant to discuss issues related to sexual health. This reluctance is not limited to premature ejaculation; other sexual concerns such as erectile dysfunction, AIDS or HIV, and even sexually transmitted diseases are included in the list of conditions that minority patients find it difficult to discuss with health professionals.
A recent large scale study (reported by Rosen, etc. al) demonstrated that Hispanic men are less likely than African-American or Caucasian men to discuss issues such as erectile dysfunction and other sexual concerns with their physician. Even though these men may not have been willing to discuss their concerns, they suffer from anxiety and depression related to sexual performance issues. Other ethnicities, such as Middle-Eastern or Asian, have strong cultural taboos against discussing sexual issues. As a result, these men are highly unlikely to discuss premature ejaculation with their physician, even if they are worried about the condition.
One way to overcome these communication barriers is by encouraging men of a similar race or culture to discuss these issues with someone in the health care profession who shares their same ethnic background or belief system. For example, a study of African-American patients demonstrated that they are more likely to participate actively in their own health care and report satisfying relationships with physicians if their physicians share the ethnicity. If it is not possible to maintain this relationship within the practice, it may be appropriate to refer to a physician with whom the patient would feel more comfortable. Another way to overcome this barrier may be to broach the subject as tactfully as possible, gaining the patient’s consent to continue with the conversation or stop if they feel uncomfortable. Surveys and questionnaires are also a helpful mechanism for initiating conversations that may heighten anxiety. Finally, some men may feel more comfortable if their partner were included in the discussion while others would not agree to this type of exchange.
Despite the challenges of discussing premature ejaculation with patients of various ethnicities and cultures, physicians should begin to screen more for these types of concerns. A small percentage of men will bring the subject to the forefront of the medical visit, leaving physicians and health care practitioners with the challenge of finding creative ways to assist patients in meeting their sexual performance needs.
Source: Althof, Stanley E. “Prevalence, Characteristics, and Implications of Premature Ejaculation/Rapid Ejaculation,”
Journal of Urology, (175), March 2006, p. 842-848.
Source: Rosen, Raymond; Kountz, David; and Kuritzky, Louis. “Managing Sexual Problems in Primary Care: Focus on Premature Ejaculation”
University of
Medicine & Dentistry of
New Jersey – Center for Continuing and Outreach Education, September 2005.
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