Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is It?CausesPreventionTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is It?
Causes
Prevention
Treatment
Premature ejaculation occurs when you ejaculate during sexual intercourse sooner than you or your partner would like or before you’ve achieved satisfaction. It often occurs early in relationships when sexual excitement, anxiety, and overstimulation are common.
If you are wondering how to not ejaculate prematurely, you’re not alone. There are a number of things you can try to delay ejaculation, including the “stop-and-start” method, the “squeeze” technique, and more.
Michael Poehlman / Getty Images
What Is Premature Ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation is identified using the following criteria:
Is Ejaculating After 60 Seconds Normal?Ejaculating within 60 seconds of penetration is not considered typical. According to the International Society of Sexual Medicine, the average time to ejaculation is between five and seven minutes.
Is Ejaculating After 60 Seconds Normal?
Ejaculating within 60 seconds of penetration is not considered typical. According to the International Society of Sexual Medicine, the average time to ejaculation is between five and seven minutes.
Premature Ejaculation Causes
You’re more likely to experience premature ejaculation when you’re young and still learning about sexual activity and relationships, or at any age if you’ve had a long period of abstinence. However, various psychological and physical factors may also play a role.
Psychological factors that can contribute to premature ejaculation include:
Physical causes may include:
How to Prevent Premature Ejaculation
There are a number of techniques that can help with premature ejaculation, including:
If your sexual health is significantly impacting your relationships or emotional well-being, reach out to a healthcare provider orsex therapistwho can help. Sometimes a questionnaire like the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool will be used during the office visit. Based on their assessment, they may recommend treatments such as counseling,cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT), or medication.
Medications for Treating Premature Ejaculation
Creams or oral medications can be effective for treating premature ejaculation. They include:
A combination of anxiety reduction and medication can be used as well.
Summary
Premature ejaculation is common, and it’s generally not a sign of a physical problem or underlying health condition. However, there are behavior techniques and medications that can help.
Remember that getting good at sex and overcoming premature ejaculation can take a bit of time. If you find that things are not improving, then help is available from sex therapists or other healthcare providers who are experts in this field.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Martin-tuite P, Shindel AW.Management options for premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation in men.Sex Med Rev. 2020;8(3):473-85. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.09.002Althof SE, McMahon CG, Waldinger MD, et al.An update of the International Society of Sexual Medicine’s guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of premature ejaculation (PE).Sex Med. 2014;2(2):60‐90. doi:10.1002/sm2.28International Society of Sexual Medicine.What is premature ejaculation? What causes it?NHS.Ejaculation problems.Rajkumar RP, Kumaran AK.The association of anxiety with the subtypes of premature ejaculation: a chart review.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(4). doi:10.4088/PCC.14m01630Cooper K, Martyn-St James M, Kaltenthaler E, et al.Behavioral therapies for management of premature ejaculation: a systematic review.Sexual Medicine. 2015;3(3):174-188. doi:10.1002/sm2.65Harvard Health.Premature ejaculation.Jiang M, Yan G, Deng H, Liang H, Lin Y, Zhang X.The efficacy of regular penis‐root masturbation, versus Kegel exercise in the treatment of primary premature ejaculation: A quasi‐randomised controlled trial.Andrologia. 2020;52(1). doi:10.1111/and.13473Abu el-hamd M.Effectiveness and tolerability of lidocaine 5% spray in the treatment of lifelong premature ejaculation patients: a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.Int J Impot Res. 2021;33(1):96-101. doi:10.1038/s41443-019-0225-9Khera M.Patient education: Sexual problems in males (Beyond the Basics).UpToDate.Additional ReadingMartin C, Nolen H, Podolnick J, Wang R.Current and emerging therapies in premature ejaculation: Where we are coming from, where we are going.Int J Urol. 2017;24(1):40-50. doi:10.1111/iju.13202
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Martin-tuite P, Shindel AW.Management options for premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation in men.Sex Med Rev. 2020;8(3):473-85. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.09.002Althof SE, McMahon CG, Waldinger MD, et al.An update of the International Society of Sexual Medicine’s guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of premature ejaculation (PE).Sex Med. 2014;2(2):60‐90. doi:10.1002/sm2.28International Society of Sexual Medicine.What is premature ejaculation? What causes it?NHS.Ejaculation problems.Rajkumar RP, Kumaran AK.The association of anxiety with the subtypes of premature ejaculation: a chart review.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(4). doi:10.4088/PCC.14m01630Cooper K, Martyn-St James M, Kaltenthaler E, et al.Behavioral therapies for management of premature ejaculation: a systematic review.Sexual Medicine. 2015;3(3):174-188. doi:10.1002/sm2.65Harvard Health.Premature ejaculation.Jiang M, Yan G, Deng H, Liang H, Lin Y, Zhang X.The efficacy of regular penis‐root masturbation, versus Kegel exercise in the treatment of primary premature ejaculation: A quasi‐randomised controlled trial.Andrologia. 2020;52(1). doi:10.1111/and.13473Abu el-hamd M.Effectiveness and tolerability of lidocaine 5% spray in the treatment of lifelong premature ejaculation patients: a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.Int J Impot Res. 2021;33(1):96-101. doi:10.1038/s41443-019-0225-9Khera M.Patient education: Sexual problems in males (Beyond the Basics).UpToDate.Additional ReadingMartin C, Nolen H, Podolnick J, Wang R.Current and emerging therapies in premature ejaculation: Where we are coming from, where we are going.Int J Urol. 2017;24(1):40-50. doi:10.1111/iju.13202
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Martin-tuite P, Shindel AW.Management options for premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation in men.Sex Med Rev. 2020;8(3):473-85. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.09.002Althof SE, McMahon CG, Waldinger MD, et al.An update of the International Society of Sexual Medicine’s guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of premature ejaculation (PE).Sex Med. 2014;2(2):60‐90. doi:10.1002/sm2.28International Society of Sexual Medicine.What is premature ejaculation? What causes it?NHS.Ejaculation problems.Rajkumar RP, Kumaran AK.The association of anxiety with the subtypes of premature ejaculation: a chart review.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(4). doi:10.4088/PCC.14m01630Cooper K, Martyn-St James M, Kaltenthaler E, et al.Behavioral therapies for management of premature ejaculation: a systematic review.Sexual Medicine. 2015;3(3):174-188. doi:10.1002/sm2.65Harvard Health.Premature ejaculation.Jiang M, Yan G, Deng H, Liang H, Lin Y, Zhang X.The efficacy of regular penis‐root masturbation, versus Kegel exercise in the treatment of primary premature ejaculation: A quasi‐randomised controlled trial.Andrologia. 2020;52(1). doi:10.1111/and.13473Abu el-hamd M.Effectiveness and tolerability of lidocaine 5% spray in the treatment of lifelong premature ejaculation patients: a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.Int J Impot Res. 2021;33(1):96-101. doi:10.1038/s41443-019-0225-9Khera M.Patient education: Sexual problems in males (Beyond the Basics).UpToDate.
Martin-tuite P, Shindel AW.Management options for premature ejaculation and delayed ejaculation in men.Sex Med Rev. 2020;8(3):473-85. doi:10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.09.002
Althof SE, McMahon CG, Waldinger MD, et al.An update of the International Society of Sexual Medicine’s guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of premature ejaculation (PE).Sex Med. 2014;2(2):60‐90. doi:10.1002/sm2.28
International Society of Sexual Medicine.What is premature ejaculation? What causes it?
NHS.Ejaculation problems.
Rajkumar RP, Kumaran AK.The association of anxiety with the subtypes of premature ejaculation: a chart review.Prim Care Companion CNS Disord. 2014;16(4). doi:10.4088/PCC.14m01630
Cooper K, Martyn-St James M, Kaltenthaler E, et al.Behavioral therapies for management of premature ejaculation: a systematic review.Sexual Medicine. 2015;3(3):174-188. doi:10.1002/sm2.65
Harvard Health.Premature ejaculation.
Jiang M, Yan G, Deng H, Liang H, Lin Y, Zhang X.The efficacy of regular penis‐root masturbation, versus Kegel exercise in the treatment of primary premature ejaculation: A quasi‐randomised controlled trial.Andrologia. 2020;52(1). doi:10.1111/and.13473
Abu el-hamd M.Effectiveness and tolerability of lidocaine 5% spray in the treatment of lifelong premature ejaculation patients: a randomized single-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.Int J Impot Res. 2021;33(1):96-101. doi:10.1038/s41443-019-0225-9
Khera M.Patient education: Sexual problems in males (Beyond the Basics).UpToDate.
Martin C, Nolen H, Podolnick J, Wang R.Current and emerging therapies in premature ejaculation: Where we are coming from, where we are going.Int J Urol. 2017;24(1):40-50. doi:10.1111/iju.13202
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