Premature ejaculation (PE), a condition in which a man ejaculates sooner than he or his partner would like during sexual activity (in less than 2-3 minutes), affects many men globally. However, its causes are not entirely clear. Various factors, both physical and psychological, contribute to PE. Past research has explored links between PE and physical attributes like penis length and circumcision scars but hasn’t looked at nerve endings in the penis head, or glans penis.

Penile ultrasound, commonly used for other sexual health issues like Peyronie’s disease and erectile dysfunction, could also shed light on PE. The authors of a new study hypothesized that as the volume of the glans penis increases, so might the likelihood of PE, potentially linked to the nerve endings in the head of the penis. In their study, the authors aimed to use penile ultrasound to investigate this connection for the first time.

This study investigated PE in 140 sexually active heterosexual men aged 18 to 62. Participants were evenly divided into a study group of men who had been diagnosed with PE at an outpatient clinic between June 2021 and June 2022 and a control group of men without ejaculation issues. Among the PE group, 20 had lifelong PE, and 50 had acquired PE.

The researchers measured various physical characteristics of the participants, including penile length and girth, using penile ultrasound. PE was assessed using self-reported ejaculation latency times and validated questionnaires. Additionally, penile stiffness was evaluated using Doppler ultrasound and elastography.

Participant characteristics such as age, height, weight, and BMI did not differ significantly among the groups. On the other hand, median ejaculation times did vary significantly: 0.5 minutes for the lifelong PE group, 2 minutes for the acquired PE group, and 7 minutes for the control group.

While penile length and girth didn’t differ significantly among the groups, glans penis volume was higher in the lifelong PE group than both the acquired PE and control groups. Logistic regression analysis showed higher glans volume increased the risk of lifelong PE compared to acquired PE and control groups.

This study highlights a significant association between lifelong PE and larger glans penis volume, suggesting a potential link between glans penis size and lifelong PE. While penile elastography found no direct relationship between tissue stiffness and PE, prior studies suggest penile hypersensitivity as a possible cause.

Despite limitations, this study underscores the importance of further research, especially with neurological tests, to validate these findings and understand the complex mechanisms of premature ejaculation. These findings also suggest that ultrasound techniques could aid in diagnosing and understanding PE, potentially leading to improved treatment approaches.

References:

• Ates, E., Gok, M., Kazici, H. G., Kol, A., Sahin, T., & Erol, H. (2024). Glans penis volume is associated with lifelong premature ejaculation. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 21(5), 391–398. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdae037