Premature Ejaculation? Not Your Fault

Men who have always suffered premature ejaculation, along with the view that its origins are psychological, may derive some satisfaction from the latest research that states the cause is actually genetic. Recent research by Dr Marcel Waldinger, of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, has found that the gene 5-HTTLPR controls the rapidity of ejaculation. Results of the study will be published this week in the International Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Eighty nine Dutch males who experience the primary form of premature ejaculation were recruited for the study. Primary premature ejaculation refers to men who have always ejaculated prematurely from their first sexual encounter onwards. For one month, their sexual partners used a stopwatch to time the rapidity of ejaculation. Results were compared to a control group of 92 men.

The report points out that low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin is present in men who suffer the primary form of premature ejaculation. Serotonin is frequently associated with mood states such as depression, but it also has a role in sexual activity. There are three types of the gene 5-HTTLPR: LL, SL and SS. The study shows that men with the LL type, ejaculate twice as quickly as men with SS, and nearly twice as quickly as those with SL. The gene also seems to be responsible for the amount and activity of serotonin in the area of the brain that controls the ejaculatory response.

"This theory contradicts the idea, which has been common for years, that the primary form of premature ejaculation is a psychological disorder," says Waldinger, as reported by ScienceDaily. "The results of our research confirm the genetic theory and may contribute to possible gene therapy against premature ejaculation."

Source:

Utrecht University (2008, October 10). Premature Ejaculation? Not Your Fault: Gene Determines Rapidity of Ejaculation in Men. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 15, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081007132509.htm