Premature ejaculation - A study of average ejaculation time and overview of the literature

Purpose: Premature ejaculation is a widespread condition with varying prevalence in the literature depending on the method of study. The period between start of intercourse and ejaculation could be an important diagnostic parameter but no objectively raised data exist in the international literature. The present study has the goal to close this gap and to give an overview of the existing literature to the topic. Materials and Methods: In three groups of 15 men each (all in fixed partnership for at least two years, no history of erectile dysfunction, age 25 to 40 years) time from start of intercourse to ejaculation was measured by the partner with a stop watch. The three groups consisted of 1. patients with premature ejaculation, 2. healthy volunteers and 3. European urologists. Data from repeated measurements were collected anonymously and analysed. Results: In group 1 (patients with premature ejaculation) an average period of 2:32 minutes was recorded between start of intercourse and ejaculation. In group 2 (healthy volunteers) the average time was 3:01 minutes. The differences were not statistically significant. The average time in group 3 (urologists) was 5 minutes and 58 seconds. Conclusions: Our data indicate, that the subjective impression of patients of "too early ejaculation" is not sufficient to establish the diagnosis of premature ejaculation. In patients' history, the subjectively estimated duration of intercourse does not correlate with an objectively recorded time interval. A time to ejaculation of 2 to 3 minutes has to be judged individually, depending on the preception of the patient and his partner.