Severity of erectile dysfunction at presentation: Effect of premature ejaculation and low desire

OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of premature ejaculation (PE) and low desire on the severity of erectile dysfunction (ED) at presentation. METHODS A total of 1680 male patients with ED with and without PE or low desire were enrolled in this study. The patients were assessed for ED using the International Index for Erectile Function. All patients were also screened for PE and low desire. Specifically, we compared the severity of ED (mild, moderate, and severe) and the mean score of the EF domain, question 3 (achieving erection), and question 4 (maintaining an erection) in patients with and without PE and/or low desire. RESULTS The mean age +/- SD for the 1680 male patients with ED was 56.8 +/- 6.9 years. No significant differences were detected between patients with or without PE or low desire in concomitance with ED regarding age, smoking, obesity, or medical comorbidities. Patients with PE and low desire were more likely to report severe than mild ED; 52.4% of patients with severe ED had PE compared with 29.5% of patients with mild ED. The patients with severe ED were more than two times as likely to report low desire as patients with mild ED. Significant associations were found between a decreased mean score for the EF domain, question 3, and question 4 and the presence of PE and/or low desire. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study have shown that PE and low desire, singly or in combination, are significantly associated with severe rather than mild ED at presentation.