Premature Ejaculation (How To Last Longer In Bed)

Gary

A 2008 survey of Canadian and American sex therapists found that the average time for heterosexual intercourse was seven minutes. That is the time taken by a man to ejaculate following vaginal penetration. Yet premature ejaculation is the most common male sexual dysfunction with prevalence estimates ranging from 20 to 30%.

While it may not directly cause serious health problems, it can cause social or personal problems and could lead to fertility issues. The 2014 descriptive survey of over 1,400 women showed that 22% of the women surveyed reported that a man’s ejaculatory problem and previously led to relationship breakups.

Lack of attention was ranked as the number one cause of distress not ejaculatory controlled per say. It’s an important health issue to address. While four subtypes of premature ejaculation technically exist:

Lifelong
Natural
Acquired
Subjective

The most recent evidence-based definition in the DSM-5 the American Psychiatric Association’s manual for diagnosing mental disorders outlines it as ejaculation within one minute following penetration and before the individual wishes. It and it has to happen all or almost all the time and for at least six months.

One popular treatment option is pharmacotherapy. A 2015 systematic review outlines a fairly large list of drugs that have proven effective including antidepressants which have the sort of side effect of prolonging ejaculation time.

While medication is generally the first-line recommendation for lifelong premature ejaculation meaning you’ve always had the issue there are other options without the same risk of side effects. Even if you have lifelong premature ejaculation, it doesn’t mean that you need antidepressants or other drugs to fix your problem. There are tips and tricks all over the internet to last longer in bed such as distraction.

So thinking about something unattractive or complicated, drinking alcohol, wearing multiple condoms desensitizing sprays, and masturbating prior to intercourse. While perhaps these methods detract from the pleasure of lovemaking. According to a 2016 review in the Journal of translational andrology and urology are generally unsuccessful over the long term. Three independent meta-analyses concluded that combined drug and behavioral therapies have good supporting evidence.

Which is where drugs delay ejaculation. While men learn behavioral techniques and are weaned off the meds as they learn better control granted behavioral therapies have been shown to be effective on their own in the absence of drugs. One of these behavioral techniques is a start/stop technique which basically involves stopping just before you feel like you’re about to ejaculate ceasing stimulation for 30 seconds or so and then resuming once you feel like you’ve regained control.

Since men with premature ejaculation see sexual excitement as two discrete points on a continuum, no excitement, and ejaculation this technique teaches men to live more in that mid-range of sexual excitement. It can also be practiced during masturbation as a sort of training tool something referred to as edging. where you stop right before climax, continue, and repeat. The squeeze technique is another method with empirical support.

Pelvic floor exercises have also shown some promise with one study showing that men with a mean ejaculation time of 30 seconds were able to increase it to about two and a half minutes after 12 weeks. While the specific exercises in this study were more complicated you can try to contract your pelvic floor muscles like you’re holding in your urine and hold it for 10 seconds for 10 reps and you can find a variety of these exercises online. But experts recommend finding a certified pelvic rehabilitation practitioner to guide you properly.

Other practical tips from sexual health experts include increasing foreplay and increasing communication. Being open about the issue and finding a treatment that works for you should be feasible given how common the problem is and how many solutions there are. So with a combination of these science-based tips and techniques some research on your own and personal trial-and-error.

Always contact your physician for matters related to your health. This article is just for reference. This advice is not given by a doctor or medical professional.