Simple plastic ring could help the seven million men in Britain who suffer from premature ejaculation

A simple plastic ring could help the seven million men in Britain who suffer from premature ejaculation sustain their lovemaking and so heal relationships.

Dr Andy Zamar, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital, Roehampton, Surrey, who invented the device, presented the results of a newly-published randomised controlled trial of 52 men with premature ejaculation. They were treated either with the device or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) at the Maudsley Hospital, South London.

The definition of premature ejaculation is when a man ejaculates quicker than he or his partner wants like. "It's the distress about the ejaculation time, not the time itself" said Dr Zamar. In this trial, the men, aged around 37, took on average 40 seconds to ejaculate from the start of lovemaking.

The device, which is as yet unnamed, is a thick ring with a oval-shaped centre piece ridged on the inside. It is slotted onto the penis and fits snugly just under the head. The ring works by over-stimulating the sensitive area of the penis, so de-sensitising it. "If no-one has touched your arm for week and someone touches it you jump. If you cover the area and let no-one touch you it gets worse. But if you touch it repeatedly, you calm down and that's exactly what this device does," Dr Zamar.

During the trial, the men masturbated alone or with their partners three times a week for no more than half an hour. Half wore the device, while the other half had six sessions of CBT. Dr Zamar told delegates that there were improvements from the first week. By week six the men improved eleven-fold, with the device group managing to hold back for 8.8 minutes, while the CBT group managed only 2.6 minutes. That's a big difference, and the men only have to use it once or twice a year to maintain this. In between times they can make love normally without the device.

The ring, which has been approved as an over-the-counter product, costs £15, while a session of CBT costs £800. However, it has no manufacturer and Dr Zamar is currently looking for a commercial partner. The Maudsley Hospital, south London, which conducted the trial, still has stocks. "I'm shocked that it hasn't been taken up by anyone, because it's cheap, it works and there are a lot of people who have the problem" he said.