Giovanni Corona1, Giulia Rastrelli2, Gyorgy Bartfai3, Felipe F Casanueva4, Aleksander Giwercman5, Leen Antonio6, Jolanta Slowikowska7, Jos Tournoy6, Margus Punab8, Ilpo T Huhtaniemi9, Dirk Vanderschueren6, Terence W O'Neill10, Frederick C W Wu11, Mario Maggi12. 1. Endocrinology Unit, Medical Department, AziendaUsl, Maggiore-Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy. 2. Andrology, Women's Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. 3. Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology, Albert Szent-Gyorgy Medical University, Szeged, Hungary. 4. Department of Medicine, Santiago de Compostela University, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario deSantiago (CHUS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CIBER de Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutricion (CB06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, Santiago deCompostela, Spain. 5. Reproductive Medicine Centre, Malmö University Hospital, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden. 6. Department of Andrology and Endocrinology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. 7. Department of Andrology and Reproductive Endocrinology, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. 8. Andrology Unit, United Laboratories of Tartu University Clinics, Tartu, Estonia. 9. Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK; Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. 10. arc Epidemiology Unit, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. 11. Department of Endocrinology, Manchester Royal Infirmary, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. 12. Endocrinology Unit, Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: m.maggi@dfc.unifi.it.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Few data have looked at the occurrence and clinical correlates of self-reported shorter than desired ejaculation latency (rapid ejaculation, RE) and its related distress in the general population. AIM: To determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of self-reported RE and RE- related distress in middle age and older European men. METHODS: Subjects were recruited from population samples of men aged 40-79 years across 8 European centers. OUTCOMES: Self-reported RE and its related distress were derived from the European male Aging Study (EMAS) sexual function questionnaire (EMAS-SFQ). Beck's depression Inventory (BDI) was used for the quantification of depressive symptoms, the Short Form 36 health survey (SF-36) for the assessment of the quality of life, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) for the evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms. RESULTS: About 2,888 community dwelling men aged 40-79 years old (mean 58.9 ± 10.8 years) were included in the analysis. Among the subjects included, 889 (30.8%) self-reported RE. Among them, 211 (7.3%) claimed to be distressed (5.9% and 1.4% reported mild or moderate-severe distress, respectively). Increasing levels of RE-related distress were associated with a progressive worse sexual functioning, higher risk of ED and with couple impairment, along with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, a worse quality of life and higher IPSS score were associated with RE-related distress (all P < 0.05). The aforementioned results were confirmed even when patients using drugs possibly interfering with ejaculation or those without a stable relationship were excluded from the analysis. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: RE is a frequent condition in men from the general population; however, its related distress is relatively modest. Nonetheless, men with any degree of self-reported RE show increasing levels of depression, worse quality of life and worse couple satisfaction. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This is the first study estimating the prevalence of self-reported RE and its related distress, along with their biological and psychological correlates, in a population sample of European middle age and older men. However, is should be recognized that the diagnosis of RE was derived from patient reports and not supported by Intra-ejaculatory-Latency-Time (IELT) measurements. CONCLUSION: Self-reported RE is relatively common in European men aged more than 40 years. The reported limited RE-related distress may explain the relatively low number of medical consultations for RE. RE-related distress is associated with worse sexual function, couple impairment, and more LUTS resulting in a worse quality of life and mood disturbances. Corona G, Rastrelli G, Bartfai G, et al. Self-Reported Shorter Than Desired Ejaculation Latency and Related Distress-Prevalence and Clinical Correlates: Results From the European Male Ageing Study. J Sex Med Rev 2021;18:908-919.
BACKGROUND: Few data have looked at the occurrence and clinical correlates of self-reported shorter than desired ejaculation latency (rapid ejaculation, RE) and its related distress in the general population. AIM: To determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of self-reported RE and RE- related distress in middle age and older European men. METHODS: Subjects were recruited from population samples of men aged 40-79 years across 8 European centers. OUTCOMES: Self-reported RE and its related distress were derived from the European male Aging Study (EMAS) sexual function questionnaire (EMAS-SFQ). Beck's depression Inventory (BDI) was used for the quantification of depressive symptoms, the Short Form 36 health survey (SF-36) for the assessment of the quality of life, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) for the evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms. RESULTS: About 2,888 community dwelling men aged 40-79 years old (mean 58.9 ± 10.8 years) were included in the analysis. Among the subjects included, 889 (30.8%) self-reported RE. Among them, 211 (7.3%) claimed to be distressed (5.9% and 1.4% reported mild or moderate-severe distress, respectively). Increasing levels of RE-related distress were associated with a progressive worse sexual functioning, higher risk of ED and with couple impairment, along with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, a worse quality of life and higher IPSS score were associated with RE-related distress (all P < 0.05). The aforementioned results were confirmed even when patients using drugs possibly interfering with ejaculation or those without a stable relationship were excluded from the analysis. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: RE is a frequent condition in men from the general population; however, its related distress is relatively modest. Nonetheless, men with any degree of self-reported RE show increasing levels of depression, worse quality of life and worse couple satisfaction. STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS: This is the first study estimating the prevalence of self-reported RE and its related distress, along with their biological and psychological correlates, in a population sample of European middle age and older men. However, is should be recognized that the diagnosis of RE was derived from patient reports and not supported by Intra-ejaculatory-Latency-Time (IELT) measurements. CONCLUSION: Self-reported RE is relatively common in European men aged more than 40 years. The reported limited RE-related distress may explain the relatively low number of medical consultations for RE. RE-related distress is associated with worse sexual function, couple impairment, and more LUTS resulting in a worse quality of life and mood disturbances. Corona G, Rastrelli G, Bartfai G, et al. Self-Reported Shorter Than Desired Ejaculation Latency and Related Distress-Prevalence and Clinical Correlates: Results From the European Male Ageing Study. J Sex Med Rev 2021;18:908-919.
Authors: Yu Zheng; Ming Gao; Guangdong Hou; Niuniu Hou; Xiao Feng; Tommaso B Jannini; Di Wei; Wanxiang Zheng; Lei Zhang; Xinlong Dun; Geng Zhang; Fuli Wang; Ping Meng; Emmanuele A Jannini; Jianlin Yuan Journal: Front Public Health Date: 2022-06-17