Effects and Prospects of the Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western Biomedical Approach for Premature Ejaculation

Abstract

Abstract Premature ejaculation (PE) is a frequently reported sexual dysfunction that has received considerable clinical attention in China. Being intrinsically related to cultural aspects, PE in the Chinese scientific environment is often treated using a combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) techniques and a Western biomedical approach. In this perspective article, we highlight the most recent effects of the use of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and Fangzhongshu techniques, each alone and in combination with Western medicine, for delaying ejaculation; however, the efficacy of such therapies is not always supported by high-quality randomized control trials. To bridge the traditional holistic, individual-targeted perspective of TCM with Western biomedical approaches, we present the paradigm of the new Systems Sexology, derived from the well-known systems medicine, which may fill this gap by perfectly blending the most advanced technologies for an innovative, integrative, and interdisciplinary approach.