INTRODUCTION
Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common problem in male sexual health
that significantly affects quality of life. According to the definition
of the International Society for Sexual Medicine revised by the American
Psychiatric Association, PE is the inability to delay or control
ejaculation, which consistently occurs before or within 1 minute of
penetration (1). The situation is accompanied by feelings of
disappointment, sadness, avoidance of sexual intimacy, and psychological
distress for the individual and also causes problems in their personal
relationships (2). In epidemiological studies, the worldwide prevalence
of PE was found to be as high as 25–30% (3). Although it is one of the
most common sexual disorders in men, its pathophysiology is not fully
understood, resulting in a lack of adequate treatment options.
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized by upper airway
obstruction that causes repetitive pauses in breathing during sleep and
leads to metabolic abnormalities. Patients with OSAS experience
excessive daytime sleepiness that impairs cognitive functions, social
activity, and quality of life. During episodes of OSAS, intermittent
hypoxia is associated with an increase in oxidative stress and systemic
inflammatory response (4,5). OSAS has been associated with some sexual
disturbances in both genders in previous studies (6-8). However,
literature data regarding the association between PE and OSAS are
limited.
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between PE and
moderate to severe OSAS and assess the effects of continuous positive
airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on PE.