Interrelationships among measures of premature ejaculation: the central role of perceived control

Domains of premature ejaculation (PE) include short intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), poor perceived control over ejaculation, decreased satisfaction with sexual intercourse, and personal distress and interpersonal difficulty related to ejaculation. How these measures interrelate is unknown.

Here, we evaluated the interrelationships between these PE-specific variables, applying cross-sectional data from a large U.S. observational study of men with PE.

We analyzed data from men with PE identified in a previously reported observational study. PE was diagnosed by experienced clinicians using the criteria specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, text revision.

Subjects reported their stopwatch-measured IELT, perceived control over ejaculation, satisfaction with sexual intercourse, personal distress related to ejaculation, and interpersonal difficulty related to ejaculation. Relationships between variables were assessed using bivariate correlations, and the strength and significance of direct or indirect effects between variables were evaluated using a form of regression analysis known as path analysis.

Bivariate Pearson correlation coefficients for all relationships were significant at the P

The patient's perception of control over ejaculation is central to understanding how PE is associated with satisfaction with sexual intercourse and ejaculation-related distress. In contrast, the association of IELT with satisfaction with sexual intercourse and distress related to ejaculation is mediated by perceived control over ejaculation.