The relationship between female sexual function index domains and premature ejaculation

Area of Science:

• Sexual Health
• Reproductive Medicine
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual dysfunction.
• Female sexual response is complex and can be influenced by various factors, including partner's sexual health.
• The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) is a validated tool for assessing female sexual function across multiple domains.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between premature ejaculation (PE) and the female sexual response cycle.
• To evaluate female sexual function using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in couples where the male partner has PE.
• To determine if PE is associated with specific domains of female sexual dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, observational study design.
• Inclusion of 181 couples with regular sexual intercourse for at least 6 months.
• Diagnosis of PE based on the second Ad Hoc International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) Committee criteria, assessed using the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) and intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT).
• Assessment of female sexual function using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), covering desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain.

Main Results:

• 117 men were diagnosed with PE and 64 without.
• Partners of men with PE reported significantly lower total FSFI scores (21.8 ± 3.5) compared to partners of men without PE (26.4 ± 3.1; p < 0.001).
• All domains of the FSFI were significantly associated with PE, with 100% of women in the PE group and 48.43% in the non-PE group exhibiting sexual dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• Premature ejaculation is strongly associated with female sexual dysfunction.
• The impact of PE extends to all measured domains of female sexual function, as indicated by FSFI scores.
• These findings underscore the importance of addressing PE for improving overall couple sexual well-being.