It’s the most common sexual condition affecting men, but how much do you really know about premature ejaculation?

Defined loosely as when a man ejaculates too quickly during sexual intercourse, premature ejaculation is the most common ejaculation problem for men. However, it can be difficult to define. This is because quite simply there is no cast-iron definition of how long sex should last, and it’s up to each individual man or couple to decide whether they are happy with the length of their intercourse. One study of 500 couples found that the average time taken to ejaculate was around five and a half minutes.

Premature ejaculation can be caused by a variety of factors, both physical and psychological. It could be the result of prostate problems, thyroid problems or the effects of recreational drugs. Likewise, it could be due to mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, stress or problems within the relationship.

As such a vague condition, it can be difficult to really understand premature ejaculation. Thankfully, we’re here to help you bust some myths. Let’s take a look.

PERCEPTION: ‘Premature ejaculation sufferers are very anxious people’

REALITY: Not necessarily

Although anxiety can indeed be a factor in premature ejaculation, it is not a set rule that premature ejaculation sufferers also live with anxiety. In fact, one Belgian survey found that sufferers have the same average levels of anxiety as the wider population. This is because there is a distinction to be made between an anxiety disorder and sex-specific stress. The latter, just like any other stress, is something that can be worked on fairly smoothly by talking through issues with partners, trying different positions and not taking things too seriously.

PERCEPTION: ‘People with premature ejaculation experience it all the time’

REALITY: False

Premature ejaculation is more often than not a situational condition, meaning the circumstances surrounding intercourse have a significant part to play in the duration of a man’s performance. Studies show that when men feel more relaxed – usually with a long-term partner – they tend to perform for longer, while more casual relations can lead to increased feelings of stress and excitement which can bring on premature ejaculation. Likewise, life stressors like family issues or money troubles can also bring on the condition.

PERCEPTION: ‘Premature ejaculation is a young man’s problem’

REALITY: False

It’s widely thought that premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction exclusively affect men on opposite ends of the age-scale (i.e. young people suffer from PE and old people suffer from ED). In actual fact, premature ejaculation can strike at any age. One survey found that the rate of sufferers remains fairly steady at 25-30% from teens to age 50.

PERCEPTION: ‘Premature ejaculation is just as distressing for partners as it is for sufferers’

REALITY: Generally false

Men regularly project their premature ejaculation anxieties onto their partners, but research actually shows that partners don’t care as much as you might think. For women especially, the rate of orgasm in sex in general is only around 25%, with traditional methods often not doing enough to bring about climax on their own. Other methods are therefore welcomed by many women, and these don’t often need men to maintain an erection.

PERCEPTION: ‘If you can’t perform for an extended period of time, you have premature ejaculation’

REALITY: False

As we said earlier, premature ejaculation is hard to define. Consequently, this leads many men to assume they have it just because they can’t last for extended periods of time. The common consensus among health professionals is that being unable to perform for more than two minutes is an indicator of premature ejaculation. However, many men that last longer than this still assume they are sufferers.

PERCEPTION ‘There is effective treatment for premature ejaculation available’

REALITY: True!

For those who do indeed live with premature ejaculation, effective and safe treatment is available. Priligy and Emla are two proven treatments for the condition that can be prescribed by Express Pharmacy.

For more information on the premature ejaculation treatment available, contact the team of NHS-approved pharmacists at Express Pharmacy today. Call us on 0208 123 07 03 or get in touch via our discreet online Live Chat service.

Studies show that men and women rate male sexual performance differently. Let’s clear the air on premature ejaculation

A study by Men’s Health asked men to rate their own sexual performance. The magazine then asked over a thousand women the same thing about their male partner. The results found that men are potentially more worried about conditions like premature ejaculation than they need to be.

According to the survey:

- Just 23% of men feel they always last long enough during sexual intercourse
- 52% of men feel they usually last long enough
- 20% of men said they sometimes experience difficulties with lasting long enough
- 5% of men feel they rarely last as long as they want to during sex

However, the same survey found these responses from women:

- 38% say their partner always lasts long enough
- 43% say their partner lasts long enough most of the time
- 13% say their partner finds it difficult to last long enough
- 6.5% say their partner rarely lasts long enough
- Only 22% claim that how long their man lasts is their main complaint.

The most common complaint was that men spend too little time engaging in foreplay

These results show that, in general, men were much more critical of their own sexual performance time than their female partners. In some ways this isn’t surprising, as there is no firm definition of how long sexual intercourse should last and therefore no exact definition for premature ejaculation.

Premature ejaculation is generally defined as a man reaching climax too quickly, often with little stimulation necessary. It is the most common ejaculation problem. In a study of 500 couples from five different countries, the average length of sexual intercourse was around five-and-a-half minutes, and most medical professionals define premature ejaculation as reaching climax within two minutes or less.

Understanding and treating premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is something most men will experience at least once in their lifetime, but around 20-30% of men are thought to experience the condition regularly. Sadly, many men suffer in silence due to embarrassment.

There are wide variety of factors which can increase your risk of experiencing premature ejaculation. Common physical causes of premature ejaculation include prostate problems and thyroid problems — such as an overactive or underactive thyroid gland — and factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and spinal injury. Lifestyle factors can also play a part, such as excessive alcohol consumption, recreational drug use and smoking.

The cause can be also psychological, caused by factors such as stress, anxiety, guilt, nervousness, depression and relationship problems. It can also be the result of underlying trauma.

Because of this, it’s important to include your partner in your concerns as much as possible. Some men find that simply discussing their symptoms with their partner (or attending sessions such as couples therapy) can have a positive effect on their premature ejaculation symptoms. It also allows you to discuss new sexual possibilities with your partner which might help increase the length of your performance.

If you’re guilty of any of the potential lifestyle causes, it can also be beneficial to practice healthier daily habits. These might include cutting down on smoking and drinking, as well as stopping the use of any recreational drugs.

It is also possible to treat premature ejaculation with safe and effective medication. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are designed to treat depression, but they can also help to delay ejaculation. Priligy is one effective example of an SSRI which can be used to treat premature ejaculation by stopping the ejaculatory expulsion reflex from reaching your brain too quickly. It has been found to potentially increase sexual performance time by 200 to 300%.

Priligy is currently available from Express Pharmacy alongside a range of other sexual health treatments. If you have concern but are not sure what to do about it, why not call the team on 0208 123 07 03 or use our discreet live chat service.

Burdened with fears of premature ejaculation? Being open, honest and ready to explore the solutions could help to ensure your dates are memorable . . . for all the right reasons.

From first dates to long-term relationships, men can still be hampered by a fear of premature ejaculation. Although a common concern – and a relatively minor issue – men are generally afraid to discuss it, let alone seek effective treatment that can help them to perform as they would wish.

It has been estimated that over three-quarters of men will experience premature ejaculation (PE) at some point in their lives and nearly 20% of men aged 18-59 suffer from it regularly. Even men with a long-term partner who regularly have intercourse can find premature ejaculation – or perceived premature ejaculation – to become an issue at some point in their lives.

While sexual intercourse plays an important role in a healthy relationship, the majority of women agree that occasional problems with premature ejaculation have little bearing on their enjoyment of sex or their attraction to their partner. Nevertheless the fear of PE remains for many men – and it is this fear that frequently exacerbates the issue.

The two types of Premature Ejaculation

We can typically break down premature ejaculation into two categories: primary and secondary. They can be distinguished as follows:

Primary

A male who has suffered problems with PE for as long as they have been sexually active, most commonly attributed to deep-lying psychological factors such as upbringing, conditioning, biological factors or even a traumatic sexual experience.

Secondary

A male who has no previous history of PE but can be afflicted by the issue due to physical or psychological triggers such as diabetes, high blood pressure, stress, depression or even a developing fear of sexual performance.

Communication is key

Communication is crucial to finding a solution to issues of premature ejaculation, but men are notoriously shy, embarrassed or just reluctant to discuss personal issues relating to sexual health. Ignoring the issue can cause premature ejaculation to become a long-term problem, whilst a more open approach and willingness to talk with your partner and/or doctor can help to alleviate the issue or lead to the prescribing of effective medication.

Methods and medication

Basic techniques for handling premature ejaculation include breathing techniques, the ‘start-stop’ and ‘squeeze’ techniques or using ‘climax-controlling’ condoms aimed at desensitising the experience.

In more persistent cases, Priligy tablets are a proven and commonly effective medication for treating premature ejaculation. They contain dapoxetine, an active ingredient that increases the time it takes to ejaculate. It also enables more control over ejaculating –alleviating much frustration and anxiety.

Accessing Priligy is discreet, fast and safe through Express Pharmacy, and can be done through an online consultation procedure. If you suffer from PE and want to access premature ejaculation medication, don’t let embarrassment get in the way any longer.