Elena Colonnello

• MD
• Resident at Sapienza University of Rome

Objectives Ejaculatory disorders (EjD) are the most prevalent sexual concerns for men and cover a spectrum of issues, including premature, delayed, anhedonic ejaculation, and anejaculation, all of which impact a man’s sexual well-being and quality of life. Understanding specific ejaculatory patterns can aid in better diagnosing and managing these d...

Objectives Female orgasmic experience and intensity depend on several biological, anatomical, cultural, psychological and relational factors, yet studies have not explored how receptiveness to different stimulations (clitoral, vaginal, or both) affects subjectively perceived orgasmic intensity. Using data from sexually active, heterosexual women in...

Objectives Women can produce a wide range of secretions during arousal and with orgasm. In particular, squirting (Sq) and ejaculation (FE) are, respectively, the copious or scarce expulsions of fluids during stimulation of the clitoral-urethro-vaginal complex (CUV). However, the psychosexological characteristics of women reporting this phenomenon h...

Objectives Sex devices are tools that can improve the sexual health of users, but their effects on sexual outcomes in partnered intercourse have seldom been evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between partnered and solitary use of sex devices and different sexual health outcomes among sexually active women aged 18-35 in...

Objectives Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent condition among young men, often attributed to a combination of physiological and psychological factors. Attachment theory suggests that early experiences of parental care and overprotection can influence relational styles in adulthood, potentially impacting sexual health. However, no studies have...

Introduction Women can produce a wide range of secretions during arousal and with orgasm. In particular, squirting (Sq) and ejaculation (FE) are, respectively, the copious or scarce expulsions of fluids during stimulation of the clitoral-urethro-vaginal complex (CUV). However, the psychosexological characteristics of women reporting this phenomenon...

Pharmacotherapy involving hormones and hormone-derived molecules has various potential treatment targets. This includes addressing (partial) hormonal deficiencies, pursuing osteoanabolic effects, providing contraceptive options, or supporting gender-affirming transitions. In chronotherapy, the timing of the administration of active ingredients and...

Bondage/discipline, Dominance/submission, Sadism/Masochism (BDSM) is a multifaceted spectrum of consensual sexual practices, that has long intrigued the psychological community for its implications on mental health and personality. While previous research has shed light on its psychopathological aspects, less is known about the distinct psychosexua...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a prevalent condition affecting male sexual health, characterized by the inability to achieve or maintain satisfactory erections. ED has a multifactorial pathogenesis in which psychological, hormonal, neurologic, cardiovascular, and lifestyle factors all contribute to a progressive decline of erectile function. A critic...

Background: Premature ejaculation (PE) is a largely prevalent sexual complaint that can lead to distress in couple relationships and can significantly reduce patients’ quality of life. Despite the considerable progress in PE research in the last decades, there is still a lack of visual and summarized literature for comprehensive understanding. Obje...

Background: Sex devices are tools that can improve the sexual health of users, but their effects on sexual outcomes in partnered intercourse have rarely been evaluated. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between partnered and solitary use of sex devices and different sexual health outcomes among sexually active women aged...

Purpose Obesity is a complex heterogeneous disease often associated with dysfunctional eating behavior patterns. Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohormone involved in the regulation of energy metabolism and eating behavior. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in a population of patients with obesity circulating levels of OT and dysfunctional eating...

Introduction Although the normal intravaginal ejaculation latency time (NIELT) in the eyes of patients with premature ejaculation (PE) and expected intravaginal ejaculation latency time (EIELT) are critically influential in the treatment of patients with PE, there is a significant dearth of exploratory research on these clinical parameters among pa...

Introduction The current cutoff values of IELT for diagnosing lifelong premature ejaculation (LPE) do not always match clinical practice, and the inconsistency in the cutoff values of IELT among different definitions has also posed challenges to both clinical management and research of PE. Objective To re-evaluate the IELT and to find evidence-bas...

Introduction Female sexual dysfunctions (FSDs) represent a common issue among the general population. However, in many cultures and societies, such as China, FSD still needs to be addressed in the urological setting, so far more focused on Andrology. However, FSDs can be easily investigated in clinical practice, and for research purposes using vali...

Female orgasmic experience and intensity depend on several biological, anatomical, cultural, psychological and relational factors, yet studies have not explored how receptiveness to different stimulations (clitoral, vaginal, or both) affects subjectively perceived orgasmic intensity. Using data from sexually active, heterosexual women in two Italia...

Background: This study aimed to assess the penile circumference in its flaccid and erect states using a Rigiscan monitoring device and Audiovisual Sexual Stimulation (AVSS) within a large Chinese male cohort to establish an objective standard. Methods: 1,134 men participated between January 2019 and June 2021. 803 men, achieving a hardness of 80% o...

Background Although the normal intravaginal ejaculation latency time (NIELT) as subjectively perceived by patients with premature ejaculation (PE) and expected IELT (EIELT), which represents the individual’s expectations of what treatment for PE would achieve, are critically influential in the treatment of patients with PE, there is a significant d...

Background The current cutoff values of intravaginal ejaculation latency time for diagnosing lifelong premature ejaculation do not always match clinical practice, and the inconsistency in the cutoff values of intravaginal ejaculation latency time among different definitions has also posed challenges to both clinical management and research of prema...

By combing the literature and analyzing the current status of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment for premature ejaculation (PE), the strengths and shortcomings of the existing studies were identified. Building upon this assessment, we put forward a prospect for the establishment of TCM-specific strategies for PE, including more targeted a...

Objectives In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has shown promising efficacy in treating male sexual dysfunction (MSD). In TCM theory, the kidney has a primary role, being closely related to the metabolism and the endocrine, nervous, reproductive systems, and, not ultimately, to the sexual function, as the “Kidney storing essence (jī...

Purpose. Obesity is a complex heterogeneous disease often associated with dysfunctional eating behavior patterns. Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohormone involved in the regulation of energy metabolism and eating behavior. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in a population of patients with obesity circulating levels of OT and dysfunctional eating...

Background Patients with premature ejaculation (PE) are often concerned and distressed about their sexual performance. Hence, they may be more willing to exploit their refractory period to employ sexual coping strategies in order to improve their unsatisfactory sexual intercourse compared with patients without PE. Aim The study sought to verify th...

Background Among the plethora of urogynecological conditions possibly affecting women, some of them, less explored, have significant impacts on sexological and psychological health, with a mutual influence. Aim The aim of this study was to investigate the sexological and psychological correlates of four urogynecological pathologies in a sample of...

Kunyaza is a traditional sexual technique reported in some regions of Central Africa that aims to trigger peri-orgasmic fluid production. A personal narrative experience of a 29-year-old unmarried woman from Kenya suggested that this particular technique may have also been practiced in Kenya for a long time. Indeed, an oral tradition about “how to...

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western Medicine both have shown efficacy in treating male sexual dysfunction (MSD). The aim of this perspective paper is to discuss a possible link between Western medicine and TCM in the MSD field as represented by the entity of Klotho. Klotho is a recently discovered protein, mainly expressed in the kidney,...

Psychometric scales, commonly used to gauge sexual function, can sometimes be influenced by response biases. In our research from June 2020 to April 2021, we examined the accuracy of self-reported sexual function scales. We invited patients from the Department of Infertility and Sexual Medicine at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen Univer...

Male sexual dysfunction (MSD) is an umbrella term covering a number of diseases that impair sexual functioning and significantly affect patients’ and partners’ quality of life. Their prevalence is quite heterogeneous and, for many of them, age dependent, as many general health risk factors also constitute a threat to sexual and reproductive health,...

Among all possible human activities, sexual activity stands out as inherently multisensory, engaging touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight, with the prominence of each sense varying across different connections and experiences. The importance of touch for sexual activity is unsurprising, given the pivotal significance of intimacy in molding sexual...

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is defined as urologic pain or discomfort in the pelvic region, associated with urinary symptoms and/or sexual dysfunction, lasting for at least 3 of the previous 6 months. The rate of symptoms related to prostatitis has a mean prevalence of 8–8.2%. CP/CPPS is most frequent in men younger t...

Objectives Internal working models (IWM) represent the internal representation about the self, expressed by a sense of self-worth (+) or self-blaming (-), and significant others, expressed by the expectation of availability and support (+) or indifference (-), guiding the interpersonal strategies to regulate intimate affects and choosing romantic a...

Objectives No information exists about the impact of ageism and dysfunctional beliefs on quality of sexual life of elderly people, considering several sexual orientations. Aim of this study was to evaluate: (1) the presence of “ageism” in elderly heterosexual and homosexual persons (2) the impact of ageism on sexual activity/sexual satisfaction of...

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 al...

Sociosexual Orientation has been described as “individual differences in willingness to have sex with people with whom there is no emotional relationship”. This study aims to investigate a possible correlation between Sociosexual Orientation (SO) and the Capacity to Love (CTL) and explore differences in well-being or distress between sociosexual pe...

Introduction Premature ejaculation (PE) is a highly prevalent male sexual dysfunction. Its current definition, together with the most used diagnostic tools, does not include non-vaginal sexual intercourse such as anal sex, self-masturbation and/or partnered-masturbation, and other forms of sexual stimulation. However, diagnostic psychometry current...

: Premature ejaculation (PE), despite its wide prevalence, is largely underdiagnosed and undertreated. Being a multifactorial dysfunction with strong cultural characteristics, PE requires skillful attitudes in the psychosexological support, necessary to manage the patient's and the couple's expectations, as well as in the medical treatment. Dapoxet...

50% of patients with PE also report ED and the correlation between erectile and ejaculatory function is so well‐known that recently a new taxonomic entity called “loss of control of erection and ejaculation” (LCEE) has been proposed This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved Although it has been assumed that chronic cannabis use ma...

Background Unconsummated marriage (UCM) is a significant problem among couples who are unable to achieve successful sexual intercourse and penovaginal penetration, and the etiology and clinical characteristics of UCM in Chinese couples remain unknown. Aim In a retrospective analysis of patients with UCM, we investigated clinical characteristics an...

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a frequently reported sexual dysfunction that has received considerable clinical attention in China. Being intrinsically related to cultural aspects, PE in the Chinese scientific environment is often treated using a combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) techniques and a Western biomedical approach. In this...

Objectives We aimed to investigate to what extent COVID-19 affected erectile function in affected patients. Methods We reviewed data from the [email protected] online survey (performed between April 7th and May 4th, 2020 in Italy; Mollaioli et al, J Sex Med. 2021 Jan;18(1):35-49) to retrieve a sample of Italian male sexually active subjects with r...

Objectives We aimed to investigate the difference in perceived intensity of orgasm among women experiencing clitoral or vaginally activated orgasm (VAO). Methods We reviewed data from the [email protected] online survey (Mollaioli et al, J Sex Med. 2021 Jan;18(1):35-49) to retrieve a sample of heterosexual Italian sexually active female subjects....

Purpose To retrospectively describe the association between thyroid hormones (TH) and platelet activation, as represented by mean platelet volume (MPV), in a cohort of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 with no known thyroid disease, and to correlate these data with the severity of COVID-19 and the occurrence of death/ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distre...

The use of Dating Applications (DAs) is widespread, and in some cases could be associated with psychosexological issues. Hence, we decided to investigate hypersexual behavior and depression symptoms among DA users and non-users. We recruited a snowball convenience sample of 1000 subjects through an online platform in 2020 for a cross-sectional stud...

Headache associated with sexual activity (HSA) is a rare but debilitating clinical entity that has been described since the times of Hippocrates and it is formally included in the third International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) among the other primary headaches. Unlike other migrainous disorders, males are three times more likely...

Objectives The quality of sexual life of elderly people represents an understudied topic of sexual medicine and of psycho-sexology. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the association of specific psycho-relational variables, such as intimacy, increased affective gestures towards a partner (AGtP), daily shared activities, and dyadic satisfaction, with the p...

Background: Premature ejaculation (PE) is a highly prevalent male sexual dysfunction. Its current definition, together with the most used diagnostic tools, does not include non-vaginal sexual intercourse such as anal sex, self-masturbation and/or partnered-masturbation, and other forms of sexual stimulation. However, diagnostic psychometry current...

Introduction The “lost penis syndrome” (LPS) is a term often used in non-clinical settings to describe the subjective perception of the loss of cutaneous and proprioceptive feelings of the male organ during vaginal penetration. Although deserving clinical attention, this syndrome did not receive any consideration in the medical literature. Notwiths...

The theory of sexuality by Sigmund Freud represents a landmark for all the studies about human sexology, and not only from a historical point of view. However, the development of sexuality is not limited to the infancy, but is a process lasting during the entire arc of life, and it is characterized by several bio-psycho-social systems and relationa...

In the field of female sexuality, the existence of the so-called “G-spot” represents a topic still anchored to anecdotes and opinions and explained using non-scientific points, as well as being overused for commercial and mediatic purposes. Purpose of Review The scope of this review is to give an update on the current state of information regardin...

Restriction measures enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic had severe effects on male sexual and reproductive health. We aimed to investigate the real-life impact and perception of sexual function in 2020 in Italy, as the first Western country experiencing a national lockdown by measuring relative search volume for keywords pertaining to sexual heal...

Introduction Hypersexuality is a complex behavioral dysfunction concerning the excess of sexual activities. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of attachment styles, post-traumatic and depression symptoms in hypersexual behavior. Methods We recruited through an online platform a snowball convenience sample of 1025 subjects (females: n=73...

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED), as the hallmark of endothelial dysfunction, could be a short- or long-term complication of COVID-19. Additionally, being ED a clinical marker and predictor of Non-communicable Chronic Diseases, particularly cardiovascular, subjects with ED could potentially have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Objecti...

Background. Diabetes mellitus (DM), one of the worldwide leading causes of death, is associated with a plethora of micro- and macro-vascular complications which should be carefully investigated and, in case, treated in order to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of premature mortality. Objective To investigate and report current evidence...

Introduction Strategies of harm reduction (HR) include policies and community-based measures aimed to reduce the risk of self-harm while continuing potentially hazardous behaviors, such as illegal drug, alcohol, and tobacco use. Objectives To assess whether and to which extent strategies of HR could have beneficial, or harmful, effects on sexual a...

Background Penis size is a highly sensitive topic, which has often raised concerns associated with human masculinity and male sexual health. Although data regarding penile dimensions have been published worldwide, little is known about these measurements in South East Asian countries. Objective This study aimed to provide the reference range in pe...

Premature ejaculation (PE) and poor ejaculatory control are multidimensional sexual symptoms estimated to affect almost one-third of men, severely impairing the overall quality of life of patients and their partners. However, patients who do not completely fulfil the definition criteria for PE rarely receive a diagnosis or adequate treatment, with...

Background Patients with premature ejaculation (PE) are often diagnosed as having a comorbid erectile dysfunction (ED). When evaluating erectile function in PE patients with the popular International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5, or Sexual Health Inventory for Men [SHIM]), question #5 (Q5) about sexual satisfaction in the intercourse often...

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Chinese medicine, Qiaoshao formula combined with dapoxetine was used for the treatment of premature ejaculation in a real‐life setting. Nine hundred and five males diagnosed with premature ejaculation were reviewed in this retrospective cohort study. We divided the patients into two groups: dapoxetine alone an...

Introduction. Hypersexuality is a clinical condition regarding the psychopathology of sexual behavior. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of trauma, through the post-traumatic stress-disorder (PTSD), depression, shame and guilt on the hypersexual behavior. Methods. Through an online platform, a convenience sample of 1025 subjects was r...

Background The COVID-19–related lockdown has profoundly changed human behaviors and habits, impairing general and psychological well-being. Along with psychosocial consequences, it is possible that sexual behavior was also affected. Aims With the present study, we evaluated the impact of the community-wide containment and consequent social distanc...

The present study aims to evaluate the relationship in women between a history of physical/sexual abuse and the preferences regarding the choice of a partner for a short/long-term relationship in terms of male facial dimorphism, and to assess their sexual functioning. We enrolled 48 abused women and 60 non-abused women. Facial preferences were eval...

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2, represents an unprecedented challenge for healthcare. COVID-19 features a state of hyperinflammation resulting in a “cytokine storm”, which leads to severe complications, such as the development of micro-thrombosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Despite isolation measures, t...

This chapter focuses on the cultural background of several sex-related issues in China which could represent a challenge for Western sexual healthcare practitioners. Given the substantial influence of both traditional culture and social norms on Chinese society, the aim of the discussion is to encourage a broader perspective that considers the pote...