Chronic bacterial prostatitis (CBP), caused by chlamydia, is now associated with an increased risk of premature ejaculation (PE), over prostatitis caused by any other bacterial infection. The chlamydia infection makes the prostatitis more potent in terms of its effect of PE. A study carried out in Italy at the Santa Chiara Regional Hospital is covered in The Journal of Sexual Medicine and it might do sexual health campaigns country wide a favour to spread the word about the findings. You can read more about CBP here.
CBP is an uncomfortable condition that results in the swelling of the prostate and causes urinary infections. It usually requires long term use of antibiotics in order to treat. It can cause blood to present in the urine or semen, burning and pain when urinating or ejaculating, with bowel movements too and can also cause pain in the lower back. If it is not treated serious problems can arise such as not being able to urinate, abscesses on the prostate and even sepsis, which is where bacteria gets into the bloodstream. For the Italian study, a group of men, half who had CBP caused by chlamydia and the other half whom had CBP caused by another urethral, bacterial infection, were compared. Premature ejaculation was discovered in approximately 37% of the first group and a mere 12% of the second group; a markedly disparate result.
Premature ejaculation has long been associated with the prostate considering the mechanism by which men ejaculate. Until now though, men who presented with CBP were not tested for chlamydia at all so the work carried out at Santa Chiara has proved innovative in this area.
Chlamydia left untreated also affects fertility in men and women and is a silent disease in that often no symptoms are present. It also means this sexually transmitted infection can pass from person to person easily and quietly. Those most at risk are in the 16 to 24 year old age bracket and these have been the statistics for a long time now according to the Health Promotion Agency (HPA), year after year. Perhaps now that it is known chlamydia is related to premature ejaculation, those testing for the infection and receiving treatment will be on the rise. Discoveries like these are reported all of the time proving that we do not yet know the full extent of what it means to leave an infection like chlamydia untreated. STI testing is free and confidential and should be carried out after any risky behaviour and before having sex with a new partner. Chlamydia is common but is dangerous and studies like these remind us to be extra vigilant about our sexual health. Please see this website for further information on chlamydia testing.
Further information can be found here.