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The impact of premature ejaculation on the subjective perception of orgasmic intensity: validation and standardisation of the ‘Orgasmometer’
Author(s) -
Limoncin E.,
Lotti F.,
Rossi M.,
Maseroli E.,
Gravina G. L.,
Ciocca G.,
Mollaioli D.,
Di Sante S.,
Maggi M.,
Lenzi A.,
Jannini E. A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.947
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 2047-2927
pISSN - 2047-2919
DOI - 10.1111/andr.12220
Subject(s) - premature ejaculation , orgasm , pleasure , psychology , intensity (physics) , perception , audiology , sexual dysfunction , medicine , psychiatry , physics , quantum mechanics , neuroscience , psychoanalysis
Summary To the best of our knowledge, no psychometric tools have been specifically developed to measure if premature ejaculation ( PE ) is related to low sexual pleasure in terms of perception of orgasmic intensity. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate if men with PE suffer from a low perception of orgasmic intensity using a new tool, the ‘Orgasmometer’, to quantitatively measure the intensity of orgasmic pleasure. Among 329 subjects attending our andrological unit for suspected PE , 257 men fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, 156 (60.7%; 156/257) were affected by PE ( PE group) and 101 (39.3%; 101/257) did not have any sexual dysfunction (Control group). Men were requested to fill out the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool ( PEDT ) and the Orgasmometer, a new visual tool recording orgasm intensity on a Likert scale. Interestingly, MANCOVA analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups ( p = 0.044) in the subjective perception of orgasm intensity with the PE group scoring lower on the Orgasmometer (mean 5.8; 95% CI 5.191–6.409) than the Control group (mean 7.95; 95% CI 7.033–8.87). In addition, multiple linear regression revealed an inverse correlation between the PEDT and the Orgasmometer scores ( p < 0.0001). Hence, higher PEDT scores were associated with a lower subjective perception of orgasmic intensity. The Orgasmometer was well understood, had good test–retest reliability and a high AUC in differentiating between men with high and low orgasmic pleasure intensity. The ROC curve analysis showed that a cut‐off ≤6 had 87.7% sensitivity (95% CI 79.6–92.6), 95% specificity (95% CI 88.7–98.4), 95.3% positive predictive value ( PPV ) and 86.4% negative predictive value ( NPV ). Men affected by premature ejaculation perceived significantly lower orgasmic intensity than sexually healthy men. The Orgasmometer is an easy‐to‐perform, user‐friendly tool for measuring orgasmic intensity.