Premature ejaculation
What is ejaculation?
Ejaculation is the release of semen from the penis at orgasm (sexual climax). When a man is sexually stimulated, the brain sends signals to the genital area through nerves in the spinal cord to make the pelvic muscles contract.
At orgasm, waves of muscle contractions transport the sperm, with a small amount of fluid, from the testes through to the vas deferens. The seminal vesicles and prostate contribute extra fluid to protect the sperm.
This mixture of sperm and fluid (semen) travels along the urethra to the tip of the penis where it is ejaculated (released).
A side view showing the main parts of the male reproductive system
What is premature ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation happens when a man is unable to control the timing of ejaculation, and ejaculates before he and/or his partner feels ready for this to happen, and this causes distress.
How soon is too soon when a man prematurely ejaculates?
For a heterosexual man, a commonly used definition of premature ejaculation is ejaculating within about one minute of his penis entering the woman’s vagina. However, there is no fixed time for ‘too soon.’ Premature ejaculation is a loss of control over ejaculation, and the distress it can cause to one or both partners, not just the time it takes a man to ejaculate.
How common is premature ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation is the most common male sexual problem and affects men of all ages.
Premature ejaculation is more common in younger men. This is because ejaculation generally takes longer as men get older and younger men may be less sexually experienced or feel less secure with the situation in which they are having sex.
What are the other types of ejaculatory problems?
Other types of ejaculatory problems can affect men such as no ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, retrograde ejaculation and painful ejaculation.
Men with any of these problems should talk to their doctor.
Are there different types of premature ejaculation?
There are two types of premature ejaculation:
- lifelong, sometimes referred to as primary
- acquired, sometimes referred to as secondary
Lifelong premature ejaculation is when a man has not had control of ejaculation from the time of his first sexual experience. If left untreated, the premature ejaculation will continue for the rest of his life.
Acquired premature ejaculation is usually when there has been a period of normal functioning before the premature ejaculation began.
Acquired premature ejaculation is often linked to psychological (especially relationship) issues or other erectile problems such as erectile dysfunction.
What causes premature ejaculation?
The cause of premature ejaculation depends on whether the premature ejaculation is lifelong or acquired.
Lifelong premature ejaculation can be caused by a chemical imbalance in important brain centres that lowers the threshold for ejaculation. As these men need less stimulation, ejaculation can happen sooner than desired. Psychological problems, including performance anxiety, may be secondary to lifelong premature ejaculation rather than being the primary cause.
Acquired premature ejaculation is often caused by performance anxiety. The anxiety can be about sexual performance, fear of being caught in a sexual act or anxiety related to a specific situation, such as a new relationship. Some religious beliefs may also make a man feel anxious about having sex.
Acquired premature ejaculation can also be caused by problems such as erectile dysfunction. This may be because of the need for intense stimulation to get and maintain an erection or from anxiety about the erection problem.
