Ejaculatory Incompetence Treated by Deconditioning Anxiety

Abstract

In contrast with the excellent results in treatment of premature ejaculation reported by most sex therapists, ejaculatory incompetence has usually been found to be very difficult to treat. In this chapter, Razani describes the use of systematic desensitization in treatment of one case of ejaculatory incompetence. While this case was successfully treated, the sexual inexperience of this patient is not necessarily typical of ejaculatory incompetence patients, many of whom have been married and having intercourse for years. Sexual anxiety seems to be a less central element in such cases, which suggests that desensitization would not be as effective as Razani reports it was with this patient. Even in this case, it is difficult to attribute the success to systematic desensitization, as a number of other procedures were used concurrently, including training the sexual partner in providing penile stimulation for the patient. Given, however, the lack of success that characterizes treatment of ejaculatory incompetence, even single case reports of successful treatment are valuable.