Men with delayed ejaculation report lower sexual satisfaction and more depressive symptoms

A study of men seeking help for delayed or premature ejaculation in Italy found that those suffering from delayed ejaculation tended to have more severe depressive and anxiety symptoms, and lower sexual desire than men suffering from premature ejaculation. They also tended to be older. The paper was published in IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal.

Premature ejaculation is a sexual condition in which a man reaches orgasm and ejaculates sooner than desired, often within a minute of penetration or with minimal stimulation. It can lead to frustration, anxiety, and reduced sexual satisfaction for both partners. The causes may include psychological factors such as stress, depression, or relationship problems, as well as biological ones like hormonal imbalances or nerve sensitivity.

In contrast, delayed ejaculation is the persistent difficulty or inability to reach orgasm and ejaculate despite adequate sexual stimulation. This condition can also cause emotional distress, relationship strain, and decreased confidence. Delayed ejaculation may result from psychological issues, nerve damage, certain medications, or chronic health conditions such as diabetes. Both conditions are forms of ejaculatory disorders and sexual dysfunction. They can occur occasionally or become chronic depending on underlying causes.

Study author Fausto Negri and his colleagues note that many men experiencing ejaculatory disorders have difficulty expressing their negative feelings and that sexuality and emotional expression are closely connected. With this in mind, they conducted a study aiming to define specific clinical and psychological profiles of individuals suffering from premature and delayed ejaculation and to investigate the association between delayed ejaculation and other domains of sexual functioning.

Study participants were 555 men who were seeking medical help for ejaculation disorders. 76 of them reported for delayed ejaculation, while the rest of them sought help for premature ejaculation. Participants’ average age was approximately 45 years. 53% of participants with delayed ejaculation reported having a stable partner, and this was the case with 64% of participants with premature ejaculation.

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Participants completed assessments of erectile function (the International Index of Erectile Function) and depression (the Beck Depression Inventory). Researchers also measured levels of various hormones and collected other medical and demographic information about the participants.

Results showed that participants suffering from delayed ejaculation were older than participants suffering from premature ejaculation (average age of 47 years vs 44 years). They also more often suffered from other disorders. Participants with delayed ejaculation also tended to have more severe symptoms of depression and anxiety. Their sexual desire tended to be lower, as were their orgasmic function scores, compared to participants with premature ejaculation. The two groups did not differ in relationship status, waist circumference, body mass index, or levels of examined hormones.

“Roughly one of ten men presenting for self-reported ejaculatory dysfunction as their main complaint in the real-life setting suffers from DE [delayed ejaculation]. Usually, they are older than men with primary PE [premature ejaculation] and overall less healthy. Likewise, they depict an overall poorer quality of sexual life, with lower SD [sexual desire] and OF [orgasmic function]. Moreover, men with DE have higher chances to report clinically significant depression and anxiety, which significantly impact their overall sexual satisfaction,” the study authors concluded.

The study sheds light on the differences in psychological characteristics between people with different forms of ejaculation disorders. However, it should be noted that the design of the study does not allow any causal inferences to be derived from the results. Additionally, all participants came from the same clinical center. Results on men from other geographical areas might differ.

The paper, “Men with delayed ejaculation report lower sexual satisfaction and more depressive symptoms than those with premature ejaculation: findings from a cross-sectional study,” was authored by Fausto Negri, Christian Corsini, Edoardo Pozzi, Massimiliano Raffo, Alessandro Bertini, Gabriele Birolini, Alessia d’Arma, Luca Boeri, Francesco Montorsi, Michael L. Eisenberg, and Andrea Salonia.