Premature Ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is a common sexual problem in men where sexual climax occurs ‘too early’. This means the man is unable to delay his ejaculation until a point that is mutually desirable for both partners. There are two different types of premature ejaculation

Primary: The term primary premature ejaculation is used if you have always had difficulty controlling your orgasms. The causes of primary premature ejaculation are often pyschological and may stem from a traumatic early sexual experience. Primary premature ejaculation is sometimes referred to as lifelong premature ejaculation.

Secondary: This type of premature ejaculation, sometimes referred to as acquired premature ejaculation, develops later on, where there was no problem previously. Psychological factors, such as ‘performance anxiety’, perhaps with a new partner, or physical factors, such as drinking too much alcohol, may be to blame for secondary premature ejaculation.

According to the NHS, guidelines define premature ejaculation as regularly ejaculating within one minute of entering your partner.

However, when diagnosing premature ejaculation, it’s important to remember that the length of time you can last before ejaculating is not the issue. The issue is whether you are satisfied with the length of time taken for sexual intercourse.

Luckily there are a number of different treatments which can successfully treat the problem of premature ejaculation.

The main symptom of premature ejaculation is the inability to delay your climax during sex or masturbation. This can lead to difficult feelings, such as anxiety, depression, stress and guilt, which can sometimes make premature ejaculation worse. The condition can have a negative impact on your relationship.

There are a number of different things which may be causing your premature ejaculation. You may be experiencing one or more of these.

• Early sexual experiences: Men who had early sexual experiences that required sexual activity to be over quickly find that behaviour still persists. However it is possible for them to learn to control their orgasm with no lasting ill effect.
• Performance anxiety: Worrying about premature ejaculation can in fact cause you to climax too soon. Men who experience this often find themselves trapped in a vicious circle of performance anxiety and premature ejaculation. This is frequently seen in sexual relationships involving a new partner.
• Sexual abuse or trauma: Sexual abuse or past sexual trauma can have a major impact on a man’s ability to have a positive sexual experience. Issues may include premature ejaculation.
• Feelings of guilt: If you are harbouring feelings of guilt or shame, this may cause you to rush through sex and feel unable to delay your ejaculation. Guilty feelings surrounding sex may stem from growing up in a strictly religious household, for example.
• Age: Younger men tend to ejaculate more quickly than older men, leading experts to believe that sexual experience is associated with ejaculatory control.
• Erectile dysfunction: If you are anxious about getting and maintaining an erection in the first place, this may cause premature ejaculation.
• Missing internal cues: Men who suffer with premature ejaculation often struggle to identify the point where ejaculation cannot be stopped, so corrective action can’t be taken in time. The ability to identify this point often comes with experience, therefore age can once again play a part.

Other possible causes of premature ejaculation include swelling of the prostate, irregular hormone levels, thyroid problems and irregular levels of chemicals in the brain.

However sometimes the root cause of premature ejactulation is not known.

There are a number of different options for premature ejaculation treatment. The effectiveness of these vary from person to person, so what may work for you may not work for someone else. Sometimes a combination of treatments for premature ejaculation may be required.