Sex: Premature Ejaculation Is Not the End of the World

By Shawn Clark

Premature ejaculation troubles hundreds of millions of men around the world. In fact, it is considered to be the most common sexual dysfunction in men, affecting almost 1 in 3 men. According to The Journal of Urology, premature ejaculation has prevalence rates of 20-30 percent.

While almost every grown man knows that erectile dysfunction can be treated using Viagra, the treatment for premature ejaculation doesn’t get the same publicity. One reason could be the fact that there isn’t a large pharmaceutical company behind it, like in the case of Viagra. Moreover, men are incredibly embarrassed to talk about this issue. The International Journal of Impotence Research has reported that less than 25 percent of men and women seek treatment for their sexual issues. So you are probably unlikely to hear about it from your friends.

We will discuss one of the oldest and widely used treatments for premature ejaculation shortly, but first let’s cover some background information about the problem itself.

What is premature ejaculation?

The definition of premature ejaculation has changed several times over the past few decades, but many sex therapists today agree on defining it as “ejaculation that occurs before the man or his partner wishes.”

Another accepted definition is “ejaculation that always, or nearly always, happens before sexual penetration has been achieved, or within about a minute of penetration; an inability to delay ejaculation every time, or nearly every time, he does achieve penetration; negative personal consequences, such as distress and frustration, or avoidance of sexual intimacy.”

Whatever the specific definition, most people will probably agree that a man should treat his premature ejaculation if it bothers him or his partner.

Raul Fernandez-Crespo MD says that men who suffer from premature ejaculation often avoid sex from fear of embarrassment, and suffer from personal distress, frustration, and relationship and intimacy issues, all of which are strong incentives for seeking treatment.

But as we noted earlier, men hardly ever talk about premature ejaculation, and many are just too shy to actually do something about it.

What causes premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation could be caused by a variety of issues, from emotional problems such as stress or sexual performance anxiety to genetic factors and low levels of serotonin in the brain. But the truth is that the cause of your premature ejaculation does not necessarily determine the treatment options. Behavioral therapy exercises, for example, could help a man overcome premature ejaculation regardless of its source (more on this later).

We do have to note that in rare cases, premature ejaculation could be caused by medical conditions such as diabetes, erectile dysfunction, a neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis, or a urological disorder such as urethritis. If you have started to ejaculate prematurely we advise you to consult with your doctor. That being said, these cases are quite rare.

Behavioral therapy – Premature ejaculation exercises

Here is the part you’ve been waiting for: premature ejaculation can be treated using special exercises! Sexual behavioral therapy exercises were first introduced by urologist James H. Semans way back in 1956. We now know that what distinguishes men with premature ejaculation is their inability to identify their “point of no return” – that feeling a man has before he orgasms. Since they cannot identify this feeling approaching, they can’t do anything to hold it back. Dr. Semans determined that patients should become familiar with these feelings, and through practice learn to tolerate the stimulation “indefinitely.”

He asked his patients to practice being stimulated, either by themselves or by their partner, until they feel they are about to orgasm, while paying attention to the feelings and sensations. He believed that being able to better identify these feelings would help them to be able to delay their ejaculation with practice.

Sex therapists have further developed the exercises Dr. Semans created and nowadays sexual behavioral therapy exercises are a common treatment used by sex therapists for premature ejaculation patients. This treatment option is well documented and has been in use by sex therapists for the past 40 years. World-renowned sex therapist Dr. Helen Singer Kaplan once wrote, “Over 90 percent of premature ejaculators can be cured within an average of 14 weeks of treatment.”[1]

Where to seek treatment

These premature ejaculation exercises could be taught by a certified sex therapist. To find a sex therapist near you, visit the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (www.aasect.org) or the Society for Sex Therapy and Research (www.sstarnet.org).

If you prefer not to see a sex therapist in face-to-face sessions, you can also learn to improve your ejaculatory control by using online resources like the PE Program.

This article was written by Between Us clinic, which offers the PE Program, an online home exercise program for treating premature ejaculation.