Premature ejaculation (PE), a condition in which men climax before they wish to, can be a challenge to treat. However, a team of Turkish researchers has found that a drug called dapoxetine is safe and effective for men with PE.  And acupuncture is another option. 

One hundred twenty men participated in the study, which was published in April in Urologica Internationalis. All of the men had lifelong PE, meaning they had ejaculated early since their first sexual encounter. 

The men were divided into four groups.  Two groups received two different doses of dapoxetine. The third attended acupuncture sessions. The fourth received a "sham" treatment that mimicked acupuncture.  But in this group, the acupuncture needles did not penetrate the skin. 

The men taking dapoxetine had the best improvements, followed by the men in the acupuncture group, then the sham group. 

Some men in the dapoxetine group had side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, and headache. In contrast, the men in the acupuncture and sham groups reported no side effects. 

More research is needed, but acupuncture could be an effective alternative for men who experience side effects with dapoxetine, the authors said.

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