Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation occurs when a man ejaculates during sexual activities before he wants to.

What is Premature Ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation is a subjective term. For some men, ejaculating one minute into a sexual encounter might be problematic, while others might consider ejaculation premature when it occurs 10 or 20 minutes into a sexual activity. Some men who experience premature ejaculation ejaculate before having intercourse or engaging in other sexual contact. Because the degree of prematurity varies from man to man and is affected by a man’s expectations about sexual intercourse and his previous experiences with sex, premature ejaculation is best understood as difficulty controlling the urge to orgasm and the time of ejaculation.

Causes of Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is not usually caused by an underlying health or physiological problem. It is particularly common during a first sexual experience with a new partner and among men who are relatively inexperienced with sex, but it can happen at any time. Performance anxiety, fear of ejaculating prematurely, and over-excitement can all contribute to premature ejaculation. Sometimes men ejaculate prematurely when they feel guilty about sex, when they have gone a long period without sex, or when they have been sexually aroused for an extended period of time.

Treatment for Premature Ejaculation

Because premature ejaculation is not a medical condition, making changes in sexual interactions is often highly effective. Several methods can help reduce premature ejaculation. The start and stop method, during which a man has sex for brief periods of time and stops when he feels like he might ejaculate, can help men learn to prolong sex if they wish. Regular exercise of the pubococcygeus muscle by clenching and unclenching can also help men learn to control the timing of their orgasms. Men who are anxious about ejaculating prematurely sometimes find that stimulating their partners using methods other than intercourse can help reduce their anxiety because they do not worry that their partner will not have an orgasm if they ejaculate early.

References:

1. A.D.A.M. Editor Board. (2012, October 09). Premature ejaculation. PubMed Health. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002492/
2. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, February 24). Premature ejaculation. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/premature-ejaculation/DS00578

Last Updated: 08-18-2015