Premature ejaculation (PE) is a very common complaint. Many surveys have concluded that between 30-60% of male population have intermittent concerns related to ejaculating too rapidly. American Family Physician reported that in US, up to 40% of males have problems with premature ejaculation or lack of ejaculatory control at some time in their lives.

The causes of premature ejaculation have many time considered to be only psychological and close related to emotion and stress of first sexual experience. Following to this approach several behavioral techniques, such as the stop-start technique or other, were considered the key solution of the problem. In our days, more and more studies investigate the possibility that hormonal, urologic or neurologic factors may contribute to this condition.

Considering that the prostate gland has an important mission in the mechanism of ejaculation, a recent study evaluated the incidence of premature ejaculation in the subjects with chronic prostatitis. The final conclusions suggest a role for chronic prostate inflammation in the pathogenesis of some cases of premature ejaculation and, by consequence, a possibility for premature ejaculation to be a symptom of prostatitis.

Based on the observation that chronic prostatitis has been found to have a high incidence in men with premature ejaculation, this study stresses the importance of a complete examination of the prostate before the prescription of any psychosexual or pharmacologic therapy for this condition.

Valerian D is a freelance writer interested in health issues such as causes of premature ejaculation.