title: Premature ejaculation--does country of origin tell us anything about etiology?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Premature ejaculation is a common sexual problem. The etiology of this condition is unclear. It has been suggested that some racial groups may be more at risk than others. We had a clinical impression that in our unit in London, UK, there was a preponderance of men from Islamic and Asian backgrounds.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We therefore undertook a retrospective analysis of our clinic population over an eighteen-month period.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 123 patients were identified with a clinical diagnosis of PE based on the DSM-IV and UK national guidelines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic and clinical data were collected retrospectively: parameters of patients seen in the previous 18 months were identified, including self-identified ethnicity and age. Patient-defined ethnicity was compared with the ethnicity of self-referring patients attending our general sexual health services (outpatients), and also with local population census data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 60% of patients were from Islamic or Asian backgrounds but 12% and 11% came from those racial groups in local population census data and our general clinic population respectively (P<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It thus appears that there is a preponderance of men from Islamic and Asian backgrounds presenting to our unit with premature ejaculation. The reasons for this are unclear. Possible mechanisms include psychosocial, familial, or genetic influences.
authors.affiliation: Sexual Health, Jefferiss Wing, St Mary's Hospital, London, UK. daniel.richardson@st-marys.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Goldmeier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D001208:Asia / Q000208:ethnology; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003075:Coitus / Q000502:physiology*; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D013997:Time Factors