Premature or early ejaculation? Terminological analysis.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to examine the two most commonly used terms to describe the most common sexual disorder, namely premature ejaculation or early ejaculation. The recent recommendations of the French Society of Urology (2023) and the International Society for Sexual Medicine use the term "premature". However, the EAU guidelines (2024) report the new terminological definition of the International Classification of Diseases, replacing "premature" with "early". It was necessary to refer to the etymological definitions of the two terms to distinguish between "early" and "premature". If the word "early" refers to a rapid development that can be desired, the term "premature" implies an occurrence before the appropriate time without any control. In our view, the term 'premature' is more appropriate in this context, as it highlights the uncontrolled and unwanted part of ejaculation.