Psychosexual factors that differentiate men with inhibited ejaculation from men with no dysfunction or another sexual dysfunction.

AIM: Inhibited or retarded ejaculation (IE) is an uncommon male sexual dysfunction that may result in a lack of sexual fulfillment for both the man and his partner. In this study, we attempted to identify factors that differentiate men with IE from sexually functional controls or from men with other sexual dysfunctions and to specify whether such factors predict self-reported sexual arousal during psychophysiological assessment.

METHODS: Each patient underwent psychophysiological assessment and a structured clinical interview based on a standardized questionnaire that included demographic information, psychosexual and medical history, and assessment of current sexual, erectile, and ejaculatory function, including relationship quality and characteristics.

RESULTS: Men with IE resemble men with other dysfunctions but are differentiated from controls, in their lower level of relationship satisfaction, greater level of distress, and higher level of health-related problems. Men with IE were further characterized by lower levels of self-reported subjective sexual arousal, despite exhibiting strong penile response during psychophysiological testing and reporting high quality erections across a variety of situations. Also notable, however, were the many factors on which men with IE did not differ from controls.

CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, this research helps specify directions for future investigations of men with IE.