PENILE SENSITIVITY IN MEN WITH PREMATURE EJACULATION AND ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Previous research indicates that penile sensitivity is typically lower in men with erectile dysfunction than in age-matched controls. On the assumption that sensitivity might be greater in men with short ejacul ation latency (premature ejaculation), the present research investigat ed penile threshold (sensitivity) to vibrotactile stimulation in men w ith premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, or a combination of t he two. Premature ejaculators showed thresholds commensurate with cont rols, while men with erectile dysfunction, or combined erectile dysfun ction and premature ejaculation, showed significantly elevated thresho lds. Although premature ejaculators did not show penile hypersensitivi ty, there was a significant correlation in this group between ejaculat ion latency and threshold. Overall, these findings argue against a pri mary role for penile sensitivity in ejaculation latency, and suggest t hat other somatic factors or cognitive factors may play the more criti cal role in premature ejaculation.