Dealing with issues of premature ejaculation

Premature (early) ejaculation occurs when a man ejaculates sooner during sexual intercourse than he or his partner would like.

As many as 1 out of 3 men say they experience this problem at some point in their lives. As long as it doesn’t happen often, it’s not cause for concern.

But if it happens on a regular basis, you need to find out what is happening in your body and deal with it.

Men with premature ejaculation often ‘come’ within a minute of penetration. Although we will mainly focus on regular intercourse, premature ejaculation can occur in all sexual situations, including masturbation.

Premature ejaculation results in an unsatisfactory sexual experience for both partners.

This makes the man feel frustrated, ashamed and anxious.

Most men view this as failure on their part and tend to avoid sexual intimacy as a result. What could be wrong?

Age: Interestingly, premature ejaculation is not related to ageing and can occur to men of any age.

Relationship issues

Problems in your relationship with your partner can contribute to sexual problems including premature ejaculation (and erectile dysfunction). Ask yourself, did I have this problem before we begun having trouble? If the answer is no, then your relationship is definitely an issue.

Stress

Emotional or mental strain in any area of your life can play a role in premature ejaculation. This is because stress often limits your ability to relax and focus during sexual encounters.

Anxiety

Many men with premature ejaculation also have problems with anxiety - especially about sexual performance.

This is particularly common in new relationships. That said, even anxiety about other aspects of life can affect your sexual performance.

Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

Men with ED are unable to obtain or maintain an effective erection during sexual intercourse. For this reason, many of them rush to ejaculate so as not to lose the erection before climaxing.

Health problems

If you have a serious or worrying medical condition, such as heart disease, you may feel anxious during sex and may unknowingly rush to ejaculate. The same may happen to men who have had previous catastrophic incidents like heart attacks during sex.

Conception issues

Couples who have been struggling to conceive may get into a pattern of having sex as though it were a chore. The sole goal of the sexual encounter becomes to get a baby.

Men in these circumstances may sometimes subconsciously focus on ejaculating as soon as possible during the sexual encounter as it is now a task that holds no pleasure.

Unfortunately, this may sometimes makes it harder for the couple to conceive.

Nerve issues

Problems with the nerves responsible for proper sexual function may contribute to premature ejaculation. This can occur as a result of trauma or surgery.

In addition, there may be problems with the special chemicals which allow for nerves to function properly (these chemicals are known as neurotransmitters).

Infection

Inflammation or infection of either the prostate or urethra (the pipe that brings urine out of the body) may contribute to early ejaculation.

When should you see a doctor?

If premature ejaculation happens so frequently that it interferes with your sexual pleasure, it becomes a medical problem and you need to see a doctor.

Although it can be embarrassing to discuss this with someone else, just remember that premature ejaculation is a very common condition which can be treated just like any other health condition.

(Chances are, even your doctor has had to deal with it on a personal level at one stage of his life).

This article was first published in the Business Daily.