Premature Ejaculation and treatment

For most men the idea of ejaculation (orgasm is something else) is fireworks lighting up the night sky. But for a starling percentage of men the lights go out too
early. This condition is called premature ejaculation. WONG MUN WAI (thankfully, not a sufferer) examines a study outlining the problem and a pill designed to help men who pop too soon.

Let's get right to the point. According to the study you will most likely know a man
suffering from the condition whether he is from your family, office or social circle. The Singapore Premature Ejaculation Prevalence and Attitudes study shows one in five or 20% of men between the ages of 18 and 55 suffer from PE. In addition, 14% more are probable suffers of the condition. This is the first of its kind study conducted on Singapore men.

The online survey of 243 men required them to undertake the
internationally recognised and scientifically validated Premature Ejaculation
Diagnostic Tool. The Singapore result is consistent with other international
studies that show between 20% and 30% of men suffer from the condition at some
point in their lives.

MEDICAL CONDITION

Premature ejaculation is a recognised medical condition
characterised by a short ejaculatory latency time and lack of control over
ejaculation, which is associated with distress and/or a negative impact on the
man's relationship with his partner.

"Many people think PE is a matter of willpower, or caused by a lack
of experience, so they don't believe a doctor can help." said Dr. Lim Kok Bin,
Specialist in Urology at the Raffles Hospital UroRenal Centre.

WOMEN'S PROBLEMS

It's a man's problem but not confined to men. Research found 77.7%
of partners of men with PE had at least one sexual dysfunction, compared to
42.7% of partners of men without PE. Of the women whose men had PE, 48.2% had
two or more dysfunctions compared with only 22.4% of the control group.

The most common dysfunctions in PE partners are problems with
arousal-sensation (55.2%) and orgasm (51.9%), desire (40.3%) and arousal
lubrication (37.8%).

RELATIONSHIPS PROBLEMS

So, men, women and their relationship are all affected by PE. Less
than half - 45% of respondents have talked with their partner about the length
of time they take to ejaculate. And only 21% indicated they would be willing to
discuss the issue with a doctor, while just 5% are prepared to talk to a
healthcare practitioner.
Professor Peter Lim, Medical Director and Senior Consultant Urologist at
the Andrology, Urology and Continence Centre at Gleneagles Hospital said the
PEPA Study confirmed the impact PE had on men as well as their partners.

"PE has a devastating effect on a man's self esteem and his quality
of life. From the patients I treat it is clear PE is a major obstacle to
obtaining and sustaining a lasting relationship. Some 39% of the respondents in
the PEPA Study said PE would stop them from even starting a relationship." -
Professor Peter Lim

"The condition is often diagnosed as a result of a direct complaint
from a man's partner, or when a couple report relationship difficulties.
Because of the fear and negative connotations of the condition, couples often
only seek help when their inability to conceive a child hits them," Professor
Lim said.




TREATMENTS

Available treatments for PE include behavioural therapy, topical treatments
and some drugs. What's new is Priligy, the world's first premature ejaculation
pill.

In clinical trials, Priligy increase the average time between penetration
and ejaculation 2.8 fold, from approximately 0.9 minutes. Improvements were
experienced from the very first dose.

Priligy is available by prescription only in a pack of three 30mg tablets
with a recommended retail price of S$60.25. For more information on Premature
Ejaculation and treatments, visit www.controlpe.com.sg

except from Lifestyle lite June 2011

Premature Ejaculation

Straits Times article dated 26 May 2011

'Premature ejaculation' drug sells out

By Poon Chian Hui

PRILIGY, touted as the world's first drug to treat premature ejaculation, sold out just one month after its launch here.

The first batch of pills was made available in March and was meant to last three months.

But it was cleared out last month as demand was much higher than expected, said a spokesman for American-based manufacturer Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. However, the company declined to reveal the exact number of pills sold.

The pills, which come in packs of three and are prescription-only, have since been restocked here. Patients are advised to take one pill one to three hours before sex, and no more than one a day.

Priligy works by increasing levels of serotonin, a chemical involved in controlling ejaculation. While it is said to triple the time a man can sustain an erection, it does not cure premature ejaculation.

A pack goes for between $80 and $90, which means each pill costs as much as $30. This is comparable to other established sexual enhancement drugs like Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction.

Doctors say the brisk sales may indicate how more men are willing to seek help for the embarrassing problem of premature ejaculation, caused by various factors including anxiety.

According to a survey of more than 240 men here in October last year, as many as one in three Singaporean men may suffer from this condition. But the survey, conducted by doctors here, also revealed that 77 per cent of men have never discussed their sexual health with a doctor.

Urologist Chin Chong Min, who practises at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, said a "big pool of sufferers" are now coming forward to try the pill as "they haven't found anything that works". He drew parallels with the busy period when Viagra first came to Singapore about 10 years ago.

Although Priligy has not sparked such a frenzy, it has been flying off the shelves, said Gleneagles Hospital urology centre head Peter Lim, president of the Society of Men's Health (Singapore). He has treated 30 to 40 sufferers with the pills: "So far, I have not had any complaints from patients - in fact, they usually come back for more."

Both doctors said the pills were effective for most patients, most of whom did not complain about side effects like nausea and headaches.

However, several doctors are not stocking the pills just yet. Said Dr Sam Peh at Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre: "There are other drugs around that are just as effective." One example is Zoloft, which treats anxiety and depression, but has also been used to treat premature ejaculation. A pill costs $5 to $6.