Topical Anesthetics and Premature Ejaculation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pharmacology
• Sexual Medicine

Background:

• Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual dysfunction affecting many men.
• Current treatments for PE have varying efficacy and side effect profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically evaluate the efficacy of topical anesthetics in managing premature ejaculation.
• To compare topical anesthetics against placebo and other pharmacological agents for PE treatment.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed.
• Eleven RCTs involving 2008 participants were included, comparing topical anesthetics with placebo or other medications.
• Intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) was the primary outcome measure.

Main Results:

• Topical anesthetics, including Severance Secret (SS) cream, TEMPE, lidocaine, and EMLA, significantly increased IELT compared to placebo.
• Lidocaine gel demonstrated superior efficacy over paroxetine and sildenafil in prolonging IELT.
• The meta-analysis confirmed the effectiveness of topical anesthetics over placebo, sildenafil, tadalafil, paroxetine, and dapoxetine.

Conclusions:

• Topical anesthetics represent a highly effective treatment option for premature ejaculation.
• These agents offer a significant advantage in increasing IELT for men with PE.
• Topical anesthetics provide a more effective alternative to oral medications like sildenafil and paroxetine for PE management.