Men–adult men, not just eager teenage boys–have a problem. About 25 percent of them reach orgasm almost as soon as they start to have intercourse. "The usual definition of premature ejaculation is within 2 minutes" of penetration, says Jean Fourcroy, a urologist and specialist in reproductive health in Bethesda, MD. But for some men it may be within 15 seconds. Not only is this unsatisfying sexually for both partners, but psychologists point out that the break in intimacy can lead to anger and emotional withdrawal, which can ruin relationships. Now, help from the pharmaceutical industry may be on the way, researchers said today at the American Urological Association meeting in San Antonio, TX.

What the researchers wanted to know: Can a drug called dapoxetine, which is similar to antidepressants like Prozac, slow things down for men who have premature ejaculation (PE)? Just as important, does it make sex feel better, and can it be taken in a convenient manner?

What they did: Researchers took 2614 men with PE and followed them for 12 weeks. The men were instructed to take a pill 1 to 3 hours before they planned to have sex. Though they didn't know it, some of the men were taking dapoxetine while others were taking a dummy pill, or placebo. Their partners–women–-held a stopwatch to time the period between penetration and orgasm. The men also filled out questionnaires that assessed their satisfaction with the sex act.

What they found: The men taking the placebo increased their time to ejaculation from about one minute to just under two minutes, on average. The real drug, however, had a bigger effect. Men who took 30 mg. of dapoxetine held off their orgasm for nearly three minutes. Men on a 60 mg. dose did so for about three and a half minutes. And a lot more men taking the drug rated their feelings of satisfaction as good or very good. "We don't want people focused on time, time, time," says Stanley Althof, one of the researchers. "The big increase was in sexual satisfaction," or feeling good and confident about the act of sex.

What this study means to you: Dapoxetine can be taken as needed, just a few hours before a person plans to have sex, so it is relatively convenient. Other drugs–antidepressants–used to treat PE need to be taken continuously. And while cognitive and behavioral therapy can successfully treat PE, many men are reluctant to go to a sex therapist. They may be more comfortable getting a pill from a general physician.

Caveats: There are a number of cautions. The drug isn't approved yet. Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals has yet to get the green light from the Food and Drug Administration to market it. Further, the drug has side effects: 20 percent of men taking the higher dosage reported feeling nauseous, for instance. And many psychologists caution that a drug alone isn't a solution. It will work best paired with therapy to deal with feelings of inadequacy or anxiety that may contribute to PE.

Find out more: The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy has a good online primer on men's sexual problems.

Abstract online: http://www.abstractsonline.com