A large body of literature on diminished ejaculatory disorders has been generated without the use of a clear diagnostic definition. Many studies have not distinguished between the orgasm and ejaculation disorders leading to doubtful results. Delayed ejaculation (DE) is one of the diminished ejaculatory disorders, which range from varying delays in ejaculatory latency to a complete inability to ejaculate. The present review is aimed at providing a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on the definition and epidemiology of diminished ejaculatory disorders. We focus on the acquired diseases, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and specific drug regimens that may cause an iatrogenic form of ejaculatory disorder. In addition, the impact of aging is discussed since the prevalence of DE appears to be moderately but positively related to age. Finally, we also focus on the importance of the hormonal milieu on male ejaculation. To date, evidence on the endocrine control of ejaculation is derived from small clinical trials, but the evidence suggests that hormones modulate the ejaculatory process by altering its overall latency.
Translational andrology and urology. 2016 Aug [Epub]
Stefania Di Sante, Daniele Mollaioli, Giovanni Luca Gravina, Giacomo Ciocca, Erika Limoncin, Eleonora Carosa, Andrea Lenzi, Emmanuele A Jannini
Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy ;, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy ;, Endocrinology, Andrology and Medical Sexology, Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.