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  • Letter to the Editor
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RE: The prevalence of premature ejaculation and its clinical characteristics in Korean men according to different definitions

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 25, page 160 (2013)Cite this article

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We read with great interest the observational study by Lee et al.,1 which compared the prevalence of premature ejaculation (PE) based on the self-report, intravaginal ejaculatory latency time criterion (IELT⩽1 min) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool score (PEDT⩾11) among Korean men. Presumably, the prevalence of self-reported PE (19.5%) was much higher than each of PEDT-diagnosed PE (11.3%) and IELT-diagnosed PE (3%).

Within the last two decades, numerous studies have attempted to define the actual prevalence of PE. Unfortunately, most of these studies were poorly designed, were prone to selection and information biases and therefore had inaccurate results. Similarly, this paper has several shortcomings that significantly reduce its scientific quality. The most important drawback is that the authors accepted the self-reported complaint of PE as a ‘PE syndrome’. Today, it is well established that the occasional symptom of PE is different than PE as a syndrome. Moreover, it is widely accepted that the authority-based PE definition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth Edition (DSM-IV) lacks specific operational criteria, is vague in terms of operational specificity and relies on subjective interpretations by the clinician.2 Therefore, PEDT, which was developed according to DSM-IV definition, should no longer be accepted as a reliable diagnostic tool. Indeed, it is demonstrated that, in spite of its high sensitivity, PEDT has a low specificity in detecting PE cases.3

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References

  1. Lee SW, Lee JH, Sung HH, Park HJ, Park JK, Choi SK et al. The prevalence of premature ejaculation and its clinical characteristics in Korean men according to different definitions. Int J Impot Res 2013; 25: 12–17.

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  2. McMahon CG, Althof SE, Waldinger MD, Porst H, Dean J, Sharlip ID et al. An evidence-based definition of lifelong premature ejaculation: report of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) ad hoc committee for the definition of premature ejaculation. J Sex Med 2008; 5: 1590–1606.

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  3. Serefoglu EC, Yaman O, Cayan S, Asci R, Orhan I, Usta MF et al. The comparison of premature ejaculation assessment questionnaires and their sensitivity for the four premature ejaculation syndromes: results from the Turkish society of andrology sexual health survey. J Sex Med 2011; 8: 1177–1185.

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  4. Serefoglu EC, Yaman O, Cayan S, Asci R, Orhan I, Usta MF et al. Prevalence of the complaint of ejaculating prematurely and the four premature ejaculation syndromes: results from the Turkish Society of Andrology Sexual Health Survey. J Sex Med 2011; 8: 540–548.

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  5. McMahon CG, Lee G, Park JK, Adaikan PG . Premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction prevalence and attitudes in the Asia-Pacific region. J Sex Med 2012; 9: 454–465.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, Medicana International Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    E Serefoglu

  2. Department of Urology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    T R Saitz

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  1. E Serefoglu
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  2. T R Saitz
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Correspondence to E Serefoglu.

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Serefoglu, E., Saitz, T. RE: The prevalence of premature ejaculation and its clinical characteristics in Korean men according to different definitions. Int J Impot Res 25, 160 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2013.20

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