Development and evaluation of the Arabic Index of Premature Ejaculation (AIPE).

OBJECTIVES

Our report describes the construction and evaluation of the Arabic Index Premature Ejaculation (AIPE) as a diagnostic tool for premature ejaculation (PE) and presents data supporting its validity.

METHODS AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Seventy-one men complaining of PE and 73 healthy subjects were asked to complete the seven-question AIPE. Diagnosis of PE was based on the criteria set by the second consultation on sexual dysfunctions. The seven items selected were based on assessment of erectile function, sexual desire, ejaculation latency, ejaculation control, patient satisfaction, partner satisfaction, and psychological distress. The AIPE was examined for sensitivity, specificity, and construct validity.

RESULTS

A receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that the AIPE is an excellent diagnostic test. A cutoff score of 30 (range of scores 7-35) discriminated best (sensitivity = 0.98, specificity = 0.88). Severity of PE ranged from none (31-35) to severe (7-13). A high kappa value (0.85) indicated existence of significant agreement existed between the predicted and "true" PE classes.

CONCLUSIONS

AIPE shows a potential to be a reliable aid to decrease the number of misdiagnosed cases of PE.