Premature and Delayed Ejaculation: Genetic and Environmental Effects in a Population-Based Sample of Finnish Twins

Abstract

Introduction: A number of different theoretical approaches to understanding the etiology of ejaculatory dysfunction have been proposed, but no behavior genetic study has yet, to our knowledge, been conducted to explore the genetic and environmental influences on ejaculatory dysfunction. Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the genetic and environmental effects on premature (PE) and delayed (DE) ejaculation in a population-based sample. Methods: The genetic and environmental influences on PE and DE were investigated in a population-based sample of 1,196 Finnish male twins, age 33–43 years, with 91 identical and 110 complete twin pairs. Several different aspects of ejaculatory function were measured by a self-report questionnaire (e.g., latency time, subjective experience of ejaculatory control). Factor analyses distinguished two subcomponents of ejaculatory function, and subsequently, composite variables measuring PE and DE were created. Structural equation modeling was performed on the composite variables. Main Outcome Measures: Measurement of genetic and environmental effects on PE and DE. Results: The results suggested moderate genetic influence (28%) on PE, but not on DE (0%). There was a moderate familial effect on DE with shared environmental effects accounting for 24% of the variance. However, omission of the shared environmental component did not directly result in a significantly decreased model fit for DE, and omission of the additive genetic component did not directly result in a significantly decreased fit for the PE model. Conclusions: The findings from the present study provide useful information regarding the etiology and understanding of ejaculatory dysfunction.