Premature Ejaculation Treatment : what a 2026 study found
A new study of 108 men found cryotherapy may improve premature ejaculation, but researchers say larger randomized trials are needed.
A new study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine has examined a minimally invasive treatment for men with lifelong premature ejaculation (PE), a condition in which ejaculation occurs earlier than desired and causes distress or difficulty with sexual satisfaction.
The study, published September 16, 2026, followed 108 men with lifelong PE who had reported ejaculation within one minute and had not responded adequately to conventional medication or behavioral treatments. Researchers investigated a procedure called selective dorsal cryoneurolysis, which uses controlled freezing to temporarily affect selected sensory nerves of the penis.
Researchers measured participants' intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), along with standardized questionnaires assessing premature ejaculation and sexual satisfaction. The geometric mean IELT increased from 54.4 seconds before treatment to 231.3 seconds after 12 months, an approximately four-fold increase. Improvements were also reported in measures of ejaculation control and sexual experience.
The procedure appeared to be generally well tolerated in this study. Eight participants, or 7.4%, experienced mild, short-term procedure-related discomfort. Eleven men, or 10.2%, continued to have premature ejaculation despite treatment. The researchers reported no cases of erectile dysfunction, persistent numbness, anorgasmia or infection during the follow-up period.
However, the findings do not establish cryoneurolysis as a proven standard treatment. The research was a retrospective, uncontrolled and non-randomized study, meaning there was no control group for comparison. The authors also noted that prospective randomized trials are needed to confirm the treatment's effectiveness and long-term durability.
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis also found potential benefits from selective dorsal nerve procedures and cryoablation, but highlighted differences between studies and the need for longer follow-up and better standardized research.
For now, the 2026 study provides early clinical evidence that selective dorsal cryoneurolysis could be investigated further as an option for men whose lifelong premature ejaculation has not responded to conventional treatment.
