Premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction are prevalent male sexual dysfunctions worldwide, causing significant distress for men and their partners. We investigated how physical activity was associated with self-reports of interoceptive awareness and autonomic regulation during sex as well as with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. The sample of 1976 Chinese urban men aged 18–50 (Mean age = 31.5 ± 5.3), responded to a questionnaire on two online survey platforms (WJX and CREDAMO) in April 2022. Participants reported their age, height, and weight, and filled out the Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Body Perception Questionnaire Short Form, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, the Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms, and the International Index of Erectile Function-5. The correlation results indicated that higher Physical Activity Questionnaire scores were associated with higher Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness scores (total scores: r = 0.470, noticing: r = 0.369, self-regulation: r = 0.398, body listening: r = 0.440, all p < 0.01), lower Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms scores (r = −0.327, p < 0.01), and higher International Index of Erectile Function-5 (r = 0.258, p < 0.01) scores. The mediation models indicated that higher Physical Activity Questionnaire scores were associated with lower Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms scores (β = −0.155, p < 0.001) and higher International Index of Erectile Function-5 (β = 0.107, p < 0.001) through higher Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness scores. The self-report Autonomic Symptoms during sex also mediated the relationship between Physical Activity Questionnaire scores, Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms scores, and International Index of Erectile Function-5 scores. We were first to investigate associations among physical activity, autonomic symptoms, interoceptive awareness, premature ejaculation, and erectile dysfunction together. These results indicate that physical exercise may enhance sexual function through both psychological and physiological pathways. However, only self-report measures were used.

Background Sexual minorities have continuously been found to experience poorer mental health compared to the general population, despite promising changes in attitudes and legislation throughout the 21st century in many Western countries. The present study is one of the first to assess group-level changes over time in mental health among sexual minorities compared to their heterosexual counterparts.Methods We used four waves of a Finnish population-based survey spanning 16 years (2006-2022) to compare heterosexual and sexual minority adults on depression and anxiety symptoms, alcohol use, and sexual distress.Results Sexual minority individuals reported more depression and anxiety symptoms, sexual distress, and alcohol use relative to their heterosexual counterparts at all time points. There were no group differences in the direction or rate of change in group means from 2006 to 2022. Depression and anxiety symptoms showed equally large increases, and alcohol use showed equally large decreases among both heterosexual and sexual minority participants.Conclusions Contrary to our expectations based on minority stress theory, differences in mental health between sexual minority and heterosexual individuals persist despite changes in the sociolegal status of sexual minorities during the first two decades of the 21st century. Our findings align with the increasing general trend in anxiety and depression symptoms, which seems to affect the whole population regardless of sexual orientation. We conclude that the effect of legislative societal improvements seems to be small, and the mental health gap between sexual minority and heterosexual adults is likely maintained by factors not included in our study.

This paper introduces a novel software solution to address the challenges of automated identification of Areas of Interest (AOIs) in dynamic, head-mounted display virtual reality (VR) environments, with a focus on applica-tions in forensic psychology. Traditional eye-tracking tools often require manual annotation of AOIs when analyzing moving objects, such as faces, in dynamic 360-degree VR scenarios—a process that is time-intensive. The pre-sented software utilizes RetinaFace to generate consistent AOIs by dynami-cally tracking facial coordinates across video frames, accounting for variabil-ity in head movements. Outputs are seamlessly formatted for analysis in iMotions, enabling robust synchronization and visualization of gaze data. Validation against manual annotation confirms the system’s high accuracy (92.2%). By automating a previously manual process, the software provides researchers with an efficient and scalable tool for analyzing complex visual attention data, significantly enhancing the feasibility of large-scale VR stud-ies in forensic and psychological research. An empirical example illustrates how the software can be used.

Abstract Premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction are prevalent male sexual dysfunctions worldwide, causing significant distress for men and their partners, as well as resulting in reduced quality and stability of romantic relationships. We aimed to investigate how physical activity in free time was associated with self-reported interoceptive awareness and autonomic nervous system reactivity during sex as well as with premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction. The sample of 1976 Chinese urban men aged 18 to 50 (M = 31.5 years, SD = 5.3), responded to a questionnaire on two online survey platforms. Participants reported their age, height, and weight, and filled out the Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Body Perception Questionnaire Short Form adapted for sexual events, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, the International Index of Erectile Function-5, and the Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms. Results indicated that more physical activity was associated with more self-reported parasympathetic activity during sex, better interoceptive awareness, and fewer premature ejaculation and erectile problems. The associations between more physical activity and fewer premature ejaculation and erectile problems were mediated by more parasympathetic reactivity during sex and more interoceptive awareness. The present study was the first to investigate the associations between physical activity, autonomic activity, interoceptive awareness, and sexual dysfunction. More physical activity was associated with better erectile function and ejaculation control through heightened interoceptive awareness and better sympathovagal balance during sexual activity. This suggests that physical exercise may enhance sexual function through both psychological and physiological pathways.

BackgroundPhysical exercise may alleviate premature ejaculation symptoms, a prevalent male sexual dysfunction linked to a series of negative outcomes for men and their partners.ObjectiveWe investigated the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions on premature ejaculation symptoms and their relation to autonomic activity and attention regulation.MethodChinese adult men (N = 76, M = 21.89, SD = 3.32) with premature ejaculation completed one of the two-week interventions in their homes or as participants in a normal breathing control group; they reported their age, height, weight, physical activity level, premature ejaculation symptoms, and attention regulation. In the HIIT group, 26 participants engaged in a 7-minute HIIT each day. In the slow breathing group, 25 participants performed 7-minute slow breathing exercises per day while the 25 participants in the normal breathing group similarly performed normal breathing exercises. All participants measured their heart rate once before and five times (with one-minute intervals) after the intervention. When participants had penile-vaginal sex with their partners, they measured their heart rate once after ejaculation.ResultsTime × Intervention interaction was significant with lower levels of premature ejaculation symptoms on Days 12, 13, and 14 in the HIIT group (M ± SD = 16.19 ± 3.45, 15.96 ± 3.43, and 15.15 ± 3.62) compared to the normal breathing group (M ± SD = 17.68 ± 3.06, 17.68 ± 3.15, and 17.44 ± 3.25). Higher levels of attention regulation were associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms. We also found that a larger increase in heart rate from resting to after sex was associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms.ConclusionCompared to the control group, the efficacy of two weeks of HIIT exercise in mitigating PE symptoms suggests its potential as a novel treatment for PE.

Research on resilience is a growing field, and resilience has been conceptualized and operationalized in multiple ways. The aim of this study was to compare the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), a conventional measure of resilience, with within-person process indicators derived from experience sampling method (ESM). A sample of 177 teachers from southern Finland participated in the study, commencing with a startup session followed by an 8-day ESM period. Through twice-daily prompts, participants reported their immediate positive and negative affect as well as recent stressors encountered, such as workload and challenging social interactions. As expected, within-person variation in affect was predicted by stressors. However, contrary to expectations, individual differences in affective reactivity to stressors were not predicted by BRCS (β positive affect [95% CI] = −.20, [−.51, .11]; β negative affect = .33, [−.07, .69]). Item response theory analyses of the BRCS revealed problems with precision. The results call into question the validity of measuring resilience using single administrations of retrospective self-report questionnaires such as the BRCS.

Background Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual dysfunction worldwide. It leads to substantial distress in men and their partners, constitutes a serious threat to the quality and stability of romantic relationships, and results in a decreased quality of life in a large part of the population.Aim We investigated the prevalence of PE and correlated factors in an urban sample of Chinese men.Methods In total, 1976 Chinese men aged 18 to 50 years responded to an online questionnaire regarding background information, present and previous sexual experience, frequency of different types of sex, as well as erectile and ejaculatory function.Outcomes Participants' age, assigned sex at birth, sexual identity, relationship status, present and previous sexual experience, frequency of sexual activities, International Index of Erectile Function-5, and Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms were used in the analyses.Results Forty-four (2.3%) participants had scores that were indicative or strongly indicative of PE, which was highly correlated with erectile problems. Men with more sexual experience (ie, more sexual partners and longer duration of being sexually active) had fewer ejaculatory problems. More frequent masturbation was associated with ejaculatory problems when controlling for age and education. More frequent partnered sex (ie, penile-vaginal sex) was associated with fewer ejaculatory problems. Ejaculation latency times for different types of sexual activities were positively correlated.Clinical Translation The results indicated that ejaculatory problems have complex relationships with sexual experience that clinicians should be aware of.Strengths and Limitations This study was the first to investigate PE with the Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms as the measurement tool and the associations between PE and sexual experience, frequency of sexual activities, and sexual function in a large Chinese sample. However, self-reported ejaculation latency times may suffer from problems with validity.Conclusion Men's sexual experience (ie, more sexual partners and longer duration of being sexually active) has an effect on their sexual function, which in turn affects their sexual activity.

Premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction are common male sexual dysfunctions worldwide, causing substantial distress in men as well as their partners and decreasing the quality and stability of romantic relationships. We investigated the associations between the self-reported anatomical characteristics of penises and sexual dysfunctions in an urban sample of Chinese men. We recruited 1085 Chinese urban men aged from 18 to 50 (M = 31.37; SD = 5.52) to fill out an online questionnaire regarding the anatomical characteristics of their penis, as well as early ejaculation and erectile problems via two Chinese online survey platforms. The participants reported their age, height, weight, penile length, penile circumference, circumcision status, and foreskin characteristics as well as answered the International Index of Erectile Function-5 and Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms. Both an increasing penile length (M = 14.49; SD = 2.22) and girth (M = 15.46; SD = 4.36) were associated with fewer early ejaculation problems, but only an increasing penile length was associated with fewer erectile problems. Less foreskin covering the glans of the penis was associated with fewer early ejaculation and erectile problems. Age was found to have a non-linear relationship with early ejaculation and erectile problems in this cross-sectional study. Specifically, early ejaculation problems decreased until a certain age (31), and then increased with further increases in age. The relationship between the anatomical characteristics of the penis and sexual function is complex. Also, the results suggest that there is a curvilinear non-monotonic relationship between age and sexual dysfunction.

BackgroundPremature ejaculation (PE), which leads to substantial distress in men and their partners, is a common male sexual dysfunction worldwide. However, there is still a lack of effective treatments without side effects. ObjectivesWe investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on PE symptoms. Materials and methodsWe recruited 92 Chinese men aged 18-36 to complete the experiment. There were 22 (13 in the control group; 9 in the HIIT group) men diagnosed with PE and 70 (41 in the control group; 29 in the HIIT group) men with normal ejaculatory function. In the HIIT group, participants completed HIIT exercises every morning for 14 days. Participants also completed surveys inquiring about demographic information, erectile function, PE symptoms, body image (including sexual body image), physical activity, and sexual desire. The heart rate was measured before and after each HIIT. In the control group, participants were instructed not to do HIIT, but other procedures were the same as in the HIIT group. ResultsResults indicated that the HIIT intervention alleviated PE symptoms in men with PE. In addition, in the HIIT group, men with PE who had a higher heart-rate increase during the HIIT intervention reported the greatest overall decrements in PE symptoms. In men with normal ejaculatory function, HIIT did not decrease PE symptoms. In addition, increments in the heart rate during the intervention were associated with more pronounced PE symptoms post-intervention in this group. Analyses of secondary outcome measures suggested that the HIIT intervention improved general and sexual body image satisfaction of men with PE compared to before the intervention. Discussion and conclusionIn summary, HIIT intervention may reduce PE symptoms in men with PE. The heart-rate increase during the intervention may be a key factor influencing the effect of the HIIT intervention on PE symptoms.

While resilience research has boomed, resilience has been conceptualized and operationalized in multiple ways. The aim of the present study is to compare a traditional measure of resilience, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, with within-person process indicators from an experience sampling measures study (ESM). Method: In spring 2021, a sample of 186 teachers in southern Finland completed a startup session followed by an 8-day ESM period, with momentary reports on stressful events (workload, social interactions), and positive and negative affect completed twice a day. As expected, within-person variation in affect was predicted by stressful events. However, contrary to expectations, stress reactivity was not predicted by BRCS. The results are discussed in terms of resilience measurement, and in connection with Kahnemans theories on experiencing and remembering self.

Abstract Premature ejaculation (PE) and erectile dysfunction (ED), which is common male sexual dysfunctions worldwide, lead to substantial distress in men as well as their partners, and decrease the quality and stability of romantic relationships, and, consequently, lead to a decreased quality of life in a large part of the population. We investigated the associations between self-reported anatomical characteristics of the penis and PE and ED in an urban Chinese sample. We recruited 1976 Chinese urban men aged 18 to 50 to fill out an online questionnaire regarding demographic information, anatomical characteristics of the penis, as well as PE and ED. Participants reported their age, penile length, penile circumference, circumcision status, and foreskin characteristics as well as answered the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Checklist for Early Ejaculation Symptoms (CHEES). Penile length and girth were associated with less ejaculatory problems, but only penile length was associated with less erectile problems. Results showed that overall higher age was associated with less ejaculatory and erectile problems. This pattern was confirmed in the younger group (age < = 31) where higher age was associated with less ejaculatory and erectile problems. However, in the older group (age > 31), higher age was associated with more ejaculatory and erectile problems. The relationship between penile length and sexual function did not change with age whereas penile girth was associated with less ejaculatory problems in the older age group only. Male circumcision and less foreskin covering the glans penis were associated with less ejaculatory and erectile problems. The present study is the first study to investigate the association between anatomical characteristics of the penis (penis size and circumcision) and sexual function. However, the self-reported measurement of penis size is a potential limitation. the penis size was measured by self-reported. There is a potential limitation to the reliability of such self-reports. The results indicated that the relationship between the anatomical characteristics of the penis and sexual function was complex. Also, the effects of age on sexual function were positive among younger men and negative among older men.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual complaint among men, but its etiology is poorly understood. Previous studies on the dual control model of sexuality has revealed that propensities for sexual excitation and inhibition can contribute to sexual dysfunctions, but few studies have included a measure of premature ejaculation. We sought to explore whether PE is associated with sexual excitation or inhibition. We applied structural equation models to data from a large population-based sample of Finnish adult men. The analyses supported a four-factor solution for the sexual inhibition/sexual excitation short-form scale. The clearest result was that increased symptoms of PE were associated with a greater propensity for sexual excitation (β = 151, p < 001, n = 2953). Importantly, this excitation was intrapersonal, as opposed to stemming from social activities. The results imply that men with PE may have stronger and more rapid reactions to sexual stimuli, which in turn may lead to ejaculating earlier than desired.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is associated with decreased quality of life, lower confidence and self-esteem, and higher levels of depression, anxiety, and interpersonal difficulties. Here we investigated the effectiveness of vibrator-assisted start–stop exercises for treatment of PE, and whether the treatment effect could be enhanced by an additional psychobehavioral intervention. Fifty participants with a mean age of 41.7 years were included and randomized into two treatment groups and a waiting list control group. Participants were instructed to perform start–stop exercises while stimulating the penis with a purpose-made vibrator, 3 times a week for 6 weeks. Additionally, participants in one of the treatment groups received additional psychoeducation and performed mindfulness meditation-based body scan exercises three times a week. Data were gathered through online questionnaires before and after treatment, as well as 3 and 6 months after treatment. The interventions reduced PE symptoms with large effect sizes (partial η 2 = .20 across the three groups, d [95% CI] = 1.05 [.27, 1.82] and 1.07 [.32, 1.82] for treatment groups compared to waiting list control group). The additional psychobehavioral intervention did not further reduce PE symptoms, but did decrease PE-associated negative symptoms such as levels of sexual distress, anxiety, and depression. No side effects were reported. Vibrator-assisted start–stop exercises can be offered as an adequate treatment option for PE.

The present study investigated how women's sexual functioning and relationship satisfaction are associated with their partner's premature ejaculation (PE) symptoms, and whether prevalence rates of PE differ when women report on their male partners compared to male self-report. The sample comprised of responses from 1,779 Finnish women (mean age 33.3 years) and a control group of 1,024 Finnish men. Women who reported that their male partners had symptoms of PE were less satisfied with their relationships, and reported lower levels of arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, lubrication, and pain, but not desire. Effect sizes of these associations were small. Men and women report similar base rates of PE, suggesting that on a population level prevalence estimates are remarkably similar irrespective of whether men report on PE symptoms themselves, or women report on their partners.

We evaluated two treatment conditions for low sexual desire in women: one where participants were administered a mindfulness-based treatment protocol and another with exercises focusing on scheduled sex and motivations for sex in addition to the aforementioned protocol. Seventy women (M-age 39.2, SD = 9.8) with complaints of low sexual desire were randomly allocated to one of these treatment conditions or a waiting-list condition. Participants attended four individual sessions and completed homework exercises. Questionnaire data were collected before and after treatment and at follow-ups three and six months later. Primary outcomes were the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) desire subdomain and the Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory-Female (SIDI-F). Secondary outcomes were the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R), the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), the Perceived Relationship Quality Components Inventory (PRQC), and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). Women in both treatment conditions reported significantly higher sexual desire (FSFI desire d = 0.75 to 1.06) immediately following treatment, compared to the waiting list. Improvements were sustained at follow-up, accompanied by improvements in some secondary outcomes. We found no significant differences between the treatment conditions in terms of treatment effectiveness. Our study adds to the literature suggesting that mindfulness-based treatments are suitable options for treating low sexual desire in women.

Psychopathy is characterized by callous affect, interpersonal manipulation, a deviant lifestyle, and antisocial behavior. Previous research has linked psychopathic traits to childhood trauma, but also to the upstream variable number tandem repeat (uVNTR) polymorphism of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene. An interaction between childhood trauma and MAOA genotype has been associated with antisocial behavior, but so far little is known about interaction effects of childhood trauma and the MAOA uVNTR on psychopathy. In order to bridge this gap, we used data of 1531 male and 1265 female twins and their siblings from a Finnish community sample to estimate structural equation models. The psychopathy and childhood trauma constructs were conceptualized as bifactor models with one general and two orthogonal group factors. Data comprised self-reports on childhood trauma and psychopathic traits as well as MAOA uVNTR genotype. In both genders, childhood trauma was associated with the general factor that represents the overarching psychopathy construct, and with the group factor that captures social deviance, but not with the group factor capturing psychopathic core personality traits. Women with a low activity variant of the MAOA uVNTR reported slightly higher levels of psychopathy than those with a high activity allele, but only with respect to the general psychopathy factor. There was no evidence for an interaction effect between MAOA uVNTR genotype and childhood trauma on psychopathy in either gender. Our results suggest that psychopathy in general and social deviance in particular are associated with childhood trauma in men and women, and that psychopathic traits are subject to variation in the MAOA uVNTR genotype in women.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is associated with decreased quality of life, lower confidence and self-esteem, and more depression, anxiety and interpersonal difficulties. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) are considered first-line agents for treatment of PE, but discontinuations rates for drug therapy are high, mostly due to side effects and/or poor effectiveness. Therefore, alternative treatment protocols are needed, but research on non-pharmacological treatments remains scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of vibrator-assisted start-stop exercises for treatment of PE, and if the treatment effect can be enhanced by additional training of body awareness. All prospective participants were screened by telephone for the following: participants had to be at least 18 years old, ejaculate within 3 minutes after penetration, not experience erectile problems that hinder penetrative sex or masturbation, not suffer from multiple sclerosis, and not use medication that may affect ejaculation latency time, such as SSRI and opioids. Further, to be eligible for inclusion, participants had to have intercourse with a partner during participation in the study. Fifty participants were included in a six-week intervention, including two visits to the clinic and exercises to be completed at home. Participants were randomized in to three groups: 1) vibrator-assisted start-stop exercises, 2) vibrator-assisted start-stop exercises and body awareness training, and 3) waiting list control group. All measures were self-report questionnaires.

Low sexual desire is a frequent sexual complaint presented by women, and is associated with considerable negative consequences for quality of life and the partner relation. Here we investigated the efficacy of two theory-driven psychobehavioral interventions to treat low sexual desire. A total of 70 Swedish women with a mean age of ca. 39 years were recruited to the study and subsequently divided into three groups. Treatment protocols entailed four individual treatment sessions (duration: 75-90 minutes each) with a licensed psychologist, and all participants were given a treatment manual as well as exercises to be completed at home. Group 1 received a slightly modified version of Brotto and Basson’s treatment protocol, which focused on psychoeducation, elements of cognitive therapy, and mindfulness exercises. Group 2 received the same intervention as Group 1, but with two additional components: scheduled sexual activity with a partner, and exercises focusing on the women’s own motives for engaging in sexual activity. Group 3 was a wait-list control group. Treatment groups were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and follow-ups at 3 and 6 months post-treatment, respectively.