[Cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual dysfunctions: treatment, etiology and accurate diagnosing of premature ejaculation].

Premature ejaculation (PE) is one of the most common male sexual dysfunctions. Successful treatment of PE has been hampered by the existence of a variety of definitions and diagnostic criteria and the lack of large, long-term studies of treatment efficacy. Numerous, diverse treatment approaches with varying degrees of efficacy have been used; these include behavioral, cognitive, and sex therapy techniques, and pharmacologic management with antidepressants, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, and topical anesthetics. Combining a specific pharmacologic treatment for premature ejaculation with appropriate cognitive, behavioral, and sex therapy techniques should improve the overall understanding and management of sexual dysfunction, resulting in a sustainable increase in sexual satisfaction and decrease in distress for man. The aim of this article is to raise awareness of the prevalence of PE, its symptoms, and the impact it has on both partners and to discuss the benefits of adding limited behavioral and cognitive sex therapy techniques to drug therapy.