Experts Define Premature Ejaculation

May 16, 2008 -- The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) has written a definition for premature ejaculation.

An international panel of 21 premature ejaculation experts wrote the definition after reviewing research on the topic and meeting in Amsterdam in October 2007 to discuss the issue. Here is their definition:

"Premature ejaculation is a male sexual dysfunction characterized by ejaculation which always or nearly always occurs prior to or within about one minute of vaginal penetration; and, inability to delay ejaculation on all or nearly all vaginal penetrations; and, negative personal consequences, such as distress, bother, frustration, and/or the avoidance of sexual intimacy."

The panel agreed that the definition is also likely "to apply to men with premature ejaculation who engage in sexual activities other than vaginal intercourse."

San Francisco urologist Ira Sharlip, MD, was one of the experts who wrote the ISSM's premature ejaculation definition, which will be presented May 19 at the American Urological Association's annual scientific meeting in Orlando.

"For something that has such a profound effect on men young and old, there needs to be a definitive measure to diagnose premature ejaculation," Sharlip says in an American Urological Association news release. "The hope is that more people with these symptoms will understand this is an actual health condition and seek treatment. They no longer need to suffer in silence."

The panel notes that no industry representatives attended their Amsterdam meeting or attempted to influence the definition's development.