One of the largest ever public surveys into premature ejaculation has shown that men are deeply reluctant to seek help for the condition, though it causes them great suffering and can put unbearable strain on their relationships.
Janssen-Cilag, who have developed the first ever pill for the condition, commissioned the survey, which saw over 4,500 men from 9 European countries asked about how premature ejaculation impacted on their lives and what they thought attitudes were to the condition.
The survey was also supported by various sexual health charities and support groups for men suffering from erectile dysfunction, including the European Sexual Health Alliance and the European Men’s Health Forum.
1 in 3 men said that the condition made them feel angry, ashamed or depressed while half of the men revealed that they felt to blame for it, which in turn made them feel guilty. Half also said that they have never discussed the condition with anyone, even their partners, with some suffering in silence for over 25 years.
Dr. Ian Banks, President of the European Men’s Health Forum, said that the survey clearly revealed that the condition was still a taboo subject, with the stigma attached to it preventing many men from talking and talking action.
Only 1 in 10 men said they had spoken to a healthcare professional about the problem, with half of those who had not saying they felt too embarrassed and 28% saying they did not consider it to be a medical problem.
With premature ejaculation the most common sexual problem reported by men, the study is a distressing indication how many men endure the condition alone and unsupported. It is to be devoutly hoped that the development of a medication to treat the disorder will lead to it being discussed openly and unashamedly, as happened with Viagra and erectile dysfunction.