Acupuncture for premature ejaculation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Although acupuncture is widely used to treat premature ejaculation (PE), its effectiveness remains highly controversial. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on PE. METHODS: According to the relevant keywords, 11 major English and Chinese databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture alone or in combination with other treatments for PE. The quality of evidence across studies was assessed by the GRADEpro tool. OUTCOMES: Study outcome measures included the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT), the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), the Chinese Index of Premature Ejaculation–5 (CIPE-5), treatment success rate, and adverse events. RESULTS: Seven trials were included in this review for a total of 603 participants. A low quality of evidence suggests that it is not possible to determine whether acupuncture, as compared with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, has an advantage in improving the IELT (standardized mean difference [SMD], −1.75; 95% CI, −6.12 to 2.63; P = .43, I(2) = 98%), PEDT scores (SMD, 0.32; 95% CI, −0.68 to 1.32; P = .53, I(2) = 85%), and treatment success rate (risk ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.41-1.14; P = .15). However, participants receiving acupuncture had a lower CIPE-5 (SMD, −1.06; 95% CI, −1.68 to −0.44; P < .01). As compared with sham acupuncture, acupuncture significantly improved the IELT (SMD, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.01-1.92; P < .01, I(2) = 0%) and PEDT scores (SMD, −1.23; 95% CI, −1.78 to −0.67; P < .01, I(2) = 37%). When compared with other treatments alone, a combined treatment with acupuncture can significantly improve the IELT (SMD, 7.06; 95% CI, 2.53-11.59; P < .01, I(2) = 97%), CIPE-5 (SMD, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.45-1.22; P < .01, I(2) = 0%), and treatment success rate (SMD, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.18-2.16; P < .01, I(2) = 53). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results suggest a significant effect of acupuncture in the treatment of certain important indicators of PE; however, this finding needs to be treated with caution because of the quality of the RCTs included. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Comprehensive inclusion of available RCTs has been performed. However, limitations include a low number of studies and a lack of detailed information to allow subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: The present systematic review and meta-analysis show that acupuncture has a significant effect on several subjective PE parameters, such as improving the feeling of control over ejaculation and distress, particularly when used in an integrated way. However, due to the low quality of evidence, acupuncture still needs larger well-designed RCTs to be confirmed.