What is premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation is ejaculating (orgasming) before you or your partner wants you to when you’re having sex. Typically this means you ejaculate within one minute after entering your partner, and that this happens regularly when you have sex.

There are two types of premature ejaculation: primary premature ejaculation and secondary premature ejaculation

Primary premature ejaculation 

You have primary premature ejaculation if you have always had the condition. This is often psychological in nature and can be caused by anxiety about your sexual performance or if you’ve suffered with a traumatic sexual experience at a young age. Some men suffer with primary premature ejaculation because the skin on their penis is very sensitive to touch, causing them to ejaculate before they’d like to. 

Secondary premature ejaculation 

You have secondary premature ejaculation if you have recently developed the condition. This can be caused by a mixture of psychological and physical factors. Physical factors can include things like drinking too much alcohol, taking recreational drugs, or having a different medical condition that causes premature ejaculation as a side effect. If you have recently developed premature ejaculation you should contact your GP who will ask further questions to help find the underlying cause. 

While premature ejaculation is usually considered a physical condition that affects the penis, it can lead to mental health problems without support. If you do have premature ejaculation, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, with 1 in 3 men experiencing the condition. If you are struggling to manage your condition, we can provide advice and treatment to help you.

What are the symptoms of premature ejaculation?

The only symptom of premature ejaculation is ejaculating too soon or sooner than you or your partner would like, usually within one minute of penetrative sex. However, this can also happen during other sexual situations or activities including masturbation. 

There are no other symptoms of this condition.

What are the long term effects of premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation will rarely lead to any long term physical health problems, if left untreated. However it can be frustrating and upsetting, and affect your mental health as a result. If you’re in a relationship, premature ejaculation may add stress to this too.

When should I see a doctor about premature ejaculation?

You should speak to a doctor about premature ejaculation if this is happening to you regularly, causing you relationship problems, or affecting your mental health.

If premature ejaculation happens as a one off, there’s no need to see a doctor unless it starts happening more frequently.

There are also some things you can try at home that can help treat premature ejaculation, before you see a doctor.

What causes premature ejaculation?

While there isn’t a single known cause for premature ejaculation, there are a variety of known physical and psychological factors that can make it more likely to happen. This makes premature ejaculation a complex condition that your doctor may not be able to pinpoint the precise cause of. Understanding all the different causes may help you identify what’s causing your premature ejaculation or contributing to it.

If you’ve only recently started experiencing the condition, it’s likely been caused by a mixture of physical and psychological causes.

Common physical causes of premature ejaculation include:

• abnormal hormone levels
• abnormal levels of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters
• inflammation or infection of the prostate or urethra
• prostate conditions
• thyroid conditions
• drinking too much alcohol
• taking recreational drugs

Common psychological causes of premature ejaculation include: 

• stress
• anxiety
• depression
• traumatic sexual experiences early in life 
• sexual abuse
• thinking about premature ejaculation too much
• relationship problems
• fear or feeling nervous
• guilt
• self esteem issues

While much less common, if you have experienced premature ejaculation your entire life, this may have been caused by:

• traumatic early sexual experiences
• conditioning, where previous behaviours, habits, or beliefs continue to affect your sexual behaviour
• biological reasons, like having a more sensitive penis

How is premature ejaculation diagnosed?

Premature ejaculation must be diagnosed by a doctor. This is important so they can rule out any other health conditions. 

Your doctor will probably ask you a few questions about your health and examine you (if necessary). They will normally ask you:

• How long has this been happening?
• How often does this happen?
• When does this usually happen?

Do you have difficulty getting an erection? 

For some people, speaking to a doctor about these kinds of health concerns can be difficult, so you may want to try and get a diagnosis online with a service like Superdrug Online Doctor. You’ll be asked the same questions you would if you visited your GP. 

Can you take a test for premature ejaculation?

There are no specific tests for premature ejaculation, and you can not diagnose yourself with the condition. If you think you have the condition, the fastest and safest way to know for sure is to speak to a GP. They may suggest tests to check for underlying physical conditions if you have secondary premature ejaculation. 

How is premature ejaculation treated?

There are a variety of different ways to treat premature ejaculation. These can range from medication and therapy to strategies you can try at home before getting advice from a doctor.

Your doctor will ask you questions about your health and diagnose you before deciding on how to treat you. They will make sure your treatment is safe and suitable for you.

Treating premature ejaculation with medication

One of the fastest and most effective ways of treating premature ejaculation is with medication. 

Premature ejaculation tablets 

There are tablets available that can treat premature ejaculation. We provide Priligy, which  you take 1 to 3 hours before having sex that makes you less likely to ejaculate early. It contains dapoxetine, an antidepressant that’s specifically designed to treat premature ejaculation. Up to 80% of men taking Priligy for premature ejaculation reported “fair satisfaction” with sexual intercourse in one study.

It’s a prescription-only medication, so you will  need a diagnosis and prescription from a doctor before you take it to make sure it’s safe for you.

Antidepressants

While this type of medication is usually used to treat mental health conditions, it can also be used to delay ejaculation. Some people find this medication starts working quickly for them, although it can take up to 1 to 2 weeks before you notice the full effects.

Erectile dysfunction medication

Erectile dysfunction is where a man struggles to get or maintain an erection that’s hard enough for sex. There are treatments available for erectile dysfunction, like Viagra and sildenafil. However, research suggests that these can be used to treat premature ejaculation too. You should speak to your doctor before taking this type of medication for this reason. 

Treating premature ejaculation with cream

There are creams and topical solutions that can reduce sensation in your penis so you can have sex for longer without ejaculating, like EMLA cream. You can buy these over the counter at pharmacies or through Superdrug Online Doctor. 

Treating premature ejaculation at home

There are things you can try at home to help treat premature ejaculation. 

These include:

• masturbating an hour or two before sex
• using a thicker condom to reduce the sensation in your penis
• taking a deep breath while having sex, to briefly stop your ejaculatory reflex
• changing sex positions or taking a break in the middle of sex
• the pause and squeeze technique during sex, where your partner gently squeezes the end of your penis for several seconds when you feel like you’re about to ejaculate until this feeling passes
• the stop-start technique during sex, where you stop when you feel like you’re about to ejaculate and continue once this feeling passes
• kegel exercises, which can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles to help delay ejaculation, though you should check this is safe for you and that you’re doing it correctly
• changing your diet, which can have a positive effect on your sexual health and wellbeing, although there’s no firm link between certain diets and premature ejaculation

Treating premature ejaculation with therapy and counselling

As psychological factors can affect and cause premature ejaculation, your doctor may recommend seeing a therapist or attending couples therapy if you’re in a long term relationship.

A therapist can give you space to talk about any issues you have. These may be either your own or within your relationship. They can then give you advice to help you resolve these. A therapist may also teach you techniques to help control the condition within your relationship.

Can premature ejaculation be cured?

There is no permanent cure for premature ejaculation. However, with the right support and advice, you may find medication, techniques and resources that will help you keep the condition under control, so you can continue to lead a full and satisfying sex life.

Sources

Can premature ejaculation be controlled? NHS [Accessed 8th August 2022]
Ejaculation problems NHS [Accessed 8th August 2022]
European Association of Urology Guidelines on Sexual and Reproductive Health—2021 Update: Male Sexual Dysfunction European Urology [Accessed 8th August 2022]