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Functional and Psychological Characteristics of Belgian Men with Premature Ejaculation and Their Partners

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Abstract

Physiological, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional factors are generally acknowledged to play a role in premature ejaculation (PE). However, the nature and the extent of their etiological impact remain largely imprecise. The present study examined functional and psychometric dynamics at work in a PE population. A total of 461 men with PE and 80 partners completed an online questionnaire. The main outcome measures were self-reported ejaculatory latency time, the feeling of control upon ejaculation, sexual satisfaction, distress related to PE, trait anxiety (STAI-B), sexual cognitions (Sexual Irrationality Questionnaire [SIQ]), social anxiety (Liebowitz’s Social Anxiety Scale [LSAS] and Social Interaction Self-Statement Test [SISST]), and personality traits (Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised [TCI-R]). In our sample, the median latency time to ejaculation was between 1 and 2 min. Sexual satisfaction and distress correlated more strongly with the feeling of control than with the self-reported latency time. Men experienced more distress and dissatisfaction related to PE than did their partners, while overestimating their partners’ distress and dissatisfaction. PE participants’ scores differed significantly, albeit slightly, from STAI-B, SIQ, LSAS, and SISST norms. The differences were negligible on TCI-R. Some differences became stronger when subtypes were considered. Participants combining generalized and lifelong PE with self-reported latency times of <30 s reported lower sexual satisfaction and control, higher distress, higher social anxiety, and harm avoidance (TCI-R/HA) scores. By contrast, the situational subtype of PE was found to be characterized by a higher level of satisfaction, a greater feeling of control, less distress, and higher trait anxiety scores. However, the trends remained statistically discrete.

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Notes

  1. The word ‘BibliothEP’ is a contraction of the word ‘bibliotherapy’ and the acronym ‘EP’ for “Ejaculation Précoce” (“premature ejaculation” in French). This study was led in collaboration by the University of Liege (Belgium) and the Province of Liege Department of Health and Quality of Life (Belgium). It received the Best Presentation Award 2010 from the French Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium

    Philippe Kempeneers

  2. Clinique des Frères Alexiens, Rue du Château de Ruyff 68, 4841, Henri-Chapelle, Belgium

    Philippe Kempeneers

  3. BibliothEP Project, Liege, Belgium

    Philippe Kempeneers, Robert Andrianne, Sabrina Bauwens, Isabelle Georis, Jean-François Pairoux & Sylvie Blairy

  4. Department of Urology, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium

    Robert Andrianne

  5. Specialized Hospital Center, Lierneux, Belgium

    Jean-François Pairoux

  6. Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium

    Sylvie Blairy

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  1. Philippe Kempeneers
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Kempeneers, P., Andrianne, R., Bauwens, S. et al. Functional and Psychological Characteristics of Belgian Men with Premature Ejaculation and Their Partners. Arch Sex Behav 42, 51–66 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-012-9958-y

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