Premature ejaculation is when you orgasm before sexual intercourse. It can be a lot frustrating for the couples as it leaves them unsatisfied. Here are the five things that you probably didn’t know about PE.
- Premature Ejaculation is Not a Disease Neither is it a Type of Sickness
Many men equate premature ejaculation to a disease or a certain type of sickness.
A lot of studies have gone into confirming whether this claim is true or false and most of them have concluded that premature ejaculation is simply an occurrence.
In the Journal of Sexual Medicine, Christopher G. McMahon published a comprehensive research overview on Premature Ejaculation in 2016 titled “Is Premature Ejaculation a Disease or a Symptom of Pathology?”. The author presents the argument that PE should not be regarded as an independent disease but rather as a manifestation of underlying psychological or medical issues. McMahon supports this claim by citing evidence indicating a frequent correlation between PE and conditions such as anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, as well as certain medical ailments like diabetes and prostate problems. Consequently, the author concludes that PE ought to be addressed as a symptom of these underlying conditions, rather than as a standalone disease.
It can, therefore, happen only once or several times throughout your life. Some men are lucky that they never happen to experience this type of ejaculation while others can experience it many times.
Most men who have experienced this type of ejaculation tend to ejaculate within a minute or less during intercourse.
This can be attributed to many factors including biological and psychological triggers.
Psychological factors can include stress, anxiety, and depression. Both physical and mental fatigue can also result in temporary premature ejaculation.
Biological triggers may include an oversensitive gland in the penis among others.
The most important thing is to understand that it is only a condition that can be easily treated.
- It is a Common Problem Than You Can Imagine
Since it is not easy for men with premature ejaculation to come forward and seek treatment, experts estimate that it is a common problem among men of different age groups.
The Fourth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine 2015 presented a comprehensive analysis titled ‘Definitions of Sexual Dysfunctions in Women and Men: A Consensus Statement.’ Authored by McCabe MP et al, this extensive online survey engaged a staggering participant pool of over 13,000 men across diverse nations. The primary objective of the study was to investigate the occurrence and psychological ramifications of premature ejaculation. The findings revealed a significant proportion of men suffering from premature ejaculation who refrained from seeking assistance, as only a minor fraction had sought guidance from healthcare practitioners. For example, the prevalence of EP is estimated to be 10% in men aged 40-49, 20% in men aged 50-59, and 30% in men aged 60-69.
A lot of men suffer in silence when they may have been affected by this condition at some point in their life. It is also a common misconception that premature ejaculation only occurs in older men.
This is not true because many young men can also experience premature ejaculation since they can achieve orgasms quickly and this is only natural.
Different studies show that about 30% of males have experienced premature ejaculation at least once in their life.
Apart from physical psychological or biological factors, healthy men can also experience premature ejaculation at some point in their lifetime.
This may lead them to develop stress, anxiety, and sometimes even go into depression.
However, this should not be the case as seeking help from a qualified physician can help manage the condition.
- It Could Be a Temporary Condition
Premature ejaculation can only be a temporary problem, especially for young men.
As men continue to gain more sexual experience with partners issues with premature ejaculation may reduce with time.
However, it is also possible that some may persist for a long period. This is because such issues may be psychological and if not treated early they may follow one into adulthood and persist to old age.
Most of the issues that can lead to premature ejaculation may only need one to have body awareness as well as connecting with your intimate partner.
This is mainly because the time it takes for you to have orgasms may not be significant so long as both parties are adequately satisfied.
It is therefore important that you talk to your partner and find out if the intercourse is satisfactory for both of you.
To ensure that this is only temporary master techniques that make you last longer in bed.
This may include the use of sex toys, oral sex among others.
- It Can be Treated Medically
Most men who experience premature ejaculation, psychological problems are always the root cause and there is a good prognosis for that.
If the problems start to manifest itself at the start of a new relationship it can subside as the relationship continues.
However, if the problem doesn’t go away and becomes more persistent then it is in order that you seek professional help.
Your doctor can recommend getting counseling from therapists who specialize in couples therapy and other sexual relationship.
While there are few medications officially licensed for treating premature ejaculation in the United States some depressants have been found to be effective.
However, this can only be prescribed by your doctor after evaluating your detailed sexual history. You should refrain from taking any drug treatments that have not been prescribed by your doctor.
Such medication can have adverse effects on your body and may only worsen the condition later on.
A study titled ‘Pharmacological Treatment of Premature Ejaculation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ published in the International Journal of Urology in 2016 analyzed 45 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatments for PE. The study found that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as dapoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline, were effective in significantly increasing intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and improving sexual satisfaction in men with PE.
- There are Effective Home Remedies
Whether the home remedies are going to be effective will largely depend on the type of premature ejaculation you have.
There are two types of premature ejaculation, primary and secondary.
Primary premature ejaculation is when you have been having this condition ever since you became sexually active.
Secondary premature ejaculation, on the other hand, is acquired later in life or when you have recently developed the condition.
Primary premature ejaculation is often caused by psychological problems such as sexual assault at a young age. Such a problem may require professional help.
However, there are two methods that can be used to manage secondary premature ejaculation they include the start-and-stop method and the squeeze method. The first is concerned with improving your control over ejaculation.
It involves stopping to sexual activity when you are about to ejaculate and resuming when the sensation has subsided.
The squeeze method involves squeezing the tip of the penis for about 30 seconds and restarting to stimulate.
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- It may be genetically inherited
If you have had some issues with premature ejaculation, many sources would cite that the symptoms are mostly caused by psychological factors.
Conditions like anxiety (especially performance anxiety), stress, depression, and even mental fatigue could all act as a contributor to a man’s premature ejaculation.
While this may have a lot of truth to it, some study in 2009 concluded a new finding that says premature ejaculation may actually be genetically inherited.
In a study involving some 200 men, researchers found that men who have the highest occurrence of premature ejaculation tend to have some serotonin regulation issues which are often related to gene factors.
Further studies are still needed to fully understand this mechanism but it still remains true that a lot of psychological factors (like the ones mentioned) can have a lot of impact on a man’s premature ejaculation, although to a varying degree of mild cases.
- Psychological assistance usually helps a lot
Since there are psychological factors that usually lead to a man experiencing premature ejaculation, therapy is often suggested as a means of treatment.
So far, experts have said that therapy really helps men overcome their issues with premature ejaculation.
This is especially the case when the right therapy is given to the right patients with corresponding root causes.
In other cases in which a man’s premature ejaculation has not been caused by psychological issues, therapy may prove to be less effective.
Meanwhile, if you feel like your premature ejaculation is usually triggered by a stressful situation, or that you have some issues in your relationship that are affecting the way you feel about sex with your partner, then counselling or therapy can be a great help.
You may be advised to make some lifestyle changes like diet and exercise or even shift your perspective on what sexuality is all about.
