The relevance of the dual control model to male sexual dysfunction: the Kinsey Institute/BASRT collaborative project

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Abstract
The recently developed SIS/SES scales, measuring propensity for sexual inhibition (SIS1 and SIS2) and for sexual excitation (SES), shown to be related to erectile problems in non-clinical samples, were explored in 171 men attending sexual problem clinics [n = 146 with erectile dysfunction (ED)] and compared with an age matched non-clinical sample (n = 446). SES and SIS1 scores in the clinic group with ED were very similar to those reporting ED in the non-clinical sample, but were not related to reporting of premature ejaculation (PE) in either group. In the clinic group, SIS/SES scores were related to features of the sexual history of potential aetiological relevance. SES was higher in men with normal waking erections, with erections better during masturbation than during sexual intercourse and lower in men with marked performance anxiety. SIS1 was higher in men with low sexual desire, and SIS2 higher in men with fear of rejection by their partners. These preliminary findings raise more questions than answers, but do provide a theoretical model for further research into male sexual dysfunction, in which erectile dysfunction can be seen as resulting from either impaired arousability (low SES), high inhibition proneness (high SIS1) or a combination of the two.