Premature Ejaculation (PE) is a condition in which sexual climax occurs before, upon, or shortly after vaginal penetration, prior to one’s desire to do so, with minimal voluntary control. It is the most common form of male sexual dysfunction. The key features are:
How Long Should it Take to Climax? In a study of more than 1,500 men, The Journal of Sexual Medicine reported that the average time between penetration and ejaculation for a premature ejaculator was 1.8 minutes, compared to 7.3 minutes for non-premature ejaculators. Another study of 500 couples across five countries reported results ranging from 33 seconds to 44 minutes with the median being 5.4 minutes. What Causes Premature Ejaculation? PE can be psychological and/or biological and can occur because of over-sensitive genital skin, hyperactive reflexes, extreme arousal or infrequent sexual activity. Other factors are genetics, guilt, fear, performance anxiety, inflammation and/or infection of the prostate or urethra and also can be related to the use of alcohol or other substances. PE occurs in up to 30% of men, involving all ages, ethnicities, and socio-economic groups. PE can cause embarrassment, frustration and loss of self-confidence and can be devastating to a relationship. It is very typical among men during their earliest sexual experiences. PE can be lifelong or acquired and sometimes occurs on a situational basis. Lifelong PE is thought to have a strong biological component. Acquired PE can be biological, based on inflammation/infection of the reproductive tract or psychological, based upon situational stressors. PE can sometimes be related to Erectile Dysfunction (ED), with the rapid ejaculation brought on by the desire to climax before losing the erection. Emphasis on ejaculation as the focal point of sexual intercourse tends to increase the performance anxiety that can initiate the problem. Once PE has occurred and established itself, fear of and mental preoccupation with the issue can actually induce the unwanted rapid ejaculation, creating a vicious cycle. How to Overcome Premature Ejaculation
Although not life-threatening, PE is a common and distressing quality of life problem that is sometimes relationship-threatening. The good news is that there are a number of effective treatment options available, so one need not suffer with the problem. Written by Dr. Andrew Siegel |