Dapoxetine: a pharmacological therapy for the treatment of premature ejaculation

Classification & definition of premature ejaculation Premature ejaculation (PE) can be broadly classified as ‘lifelong’ (primary), characterized by onset from the first sexual encounter and persisting throughout life, or ‘acquired’ (secondary), which tends to have either a gradual or sudden onset following previously normal ejaculation [1,2]. Several definitions of PE exist, including the widely quoted American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) [3], and the first evidence-based and multi dimensional definition from the International Society for Sexual Medicine [4]. The essential components deemed by the International Society for Sexual Medicine to define PE are rapidity of ejaculation (always or nearly always occurring before or within approximately 1 min of vaginal penetration), perceived control over ejaculation and negative personal consequences, such as distress, bother, frustration and/or the avoidance of sexual intimacy [4]. However, it should be noted that this definition is applicable only to men with lifelong PE, as there are currently insufficient robust data available to propose an evidence-based definition of acquired PE [4].