[Current situation in the diagnosis and treatment of premature ejaculation]

As one of the most common complaints in clinical setting, premature ejaculation (PE) is characterized by a very short intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), the inability to control or delay ejaculation and negative consequences (bother/distress). At present time, there is no universally accepted definition of PE, and the focus of the controversy on its definition is how to quantify IELT. A new proposal distinguishes PE into 4 categories: lifelong PE, acquired PE, natural variable PE and premature-like ejaculatory dysfunction. The difference in the underlying pathophysiology and etiology of different PE categories determines the first choice of treatment.