Soon Too Soon
Premature Ejaculation Scrutinised
By PePe A. C.

In one of his out-of-town trips, in Bohol City, Raphael O. recalls a sexual encounter “with a 17-year-old who could cum four times non-stop,” he says.  And while it would have made for “an exciting sexual experience, this seemingly endless source of male fecundity, it was actually, well, tiresome – the guy came once, when I (didn’t even do anything but) touch him; then again, soon after, when I tried to give him a head; then again, soon after that, when I touched him again, asking him why he cums so quickly; and then again, even sooner after that, while I was trying to give him another head, all the while he was trying to explain how he couldn’t control his body.”

Raphael O. adds, sardonically: “He just came and came and came and came – good for him, I think.  But I haven’t even removed a single piece of clothing (and he already came four times).”

What happened to Raphael O.’s partner was having premature ejaculation (PE), what eMedicine.com describes as “the occurrence of ejaculation prior to the wishes of both sexual partners – a broad definition (that) avoids specifying a precise duration for sexual relations and reaching a climax, which is variable and depends on many factors specific to the individuals engaging in intimate relations.” 

PE is actually the “most common sexual dysfunction in men younger than 40 years old,” so that “an occasional instance of premature ejaculation might not be cause for concern; but, if the problem occurs with more than 50% of attempted sexual relations, a dysfunctional pattern usually exists for which treatment may be appropriate,” eMedicine.com adds.

CUMMING OF AGE

To better understand PE is to better understand the male body (yes, it only happens to men) – or vice versa.

Typically, a man climaxes after eight minutes of sexual intercourse, but if one climaxes in less than that (say, five minutes),  and “both are satisfied with the timing,” then it’s not PE.  Thus, “another male might delay his ejaculation for a maximum of 20 minutes, yet he may consider this premature if his partner, even with foreplay, requires 35 minutes of stimulation before reaching climax,” eMedicine.com states.

Mayoclinic.com, while concurring, nonetheless adds that “there's no medical standard for how long it should take a man to ejaculate.  The primary sign of PE is, therefore, ejaculation that occurs before both partners wish in the majority of sexual encounters, causing concern or distress.  The problem may occur in all sexual situations, including during masturbation — or it may only occur during sexual encounters with another person.”

Again, PE can occur at any age in an adult man's life, though among “reported conditions, it is most common in younger men (aged 18 to 30 years old), but may also occur in conjunction with secondary impotence in men aged 45 to 65 years old,” eMedicine.com states.

PE is, generally, classified as either primary or secondary – the former when “you’ve had the problem for as long as you’ve been sexually active: and the latter when “you developed the condition after having had previous, satisfying sexual relationships without ejaculatory problems,” Mayoclinic.com states.  PE is, however, but one of the types of ejaculation disorders, which also include retarded ejaculation (when cumming takes too long), and retrograde ejaculation (when, instead of squirting out of the penis, semen flows from the prostate gland into the bladder).

No matter the type of PE, though, the cause of PE is still largely debated, mainly because it “is more complicated and involves a complex interaction of both psychological and biological factors,” Mayoclinic.com adds.

Psychological causes include the establishment of patterns early in life that may already be difficult to change in later stages of life, e.g. hurried climaxing to avoid being caught, and guilty feelings associated with sexual encounters; and anxiety disorders, e.g. fear to fail satisfying sexual performance expectations.  Biological causes include the abnormal levels of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals), irregular reflex activity of the ejaculatory system, and/or certain thyroid problems.

There are also “various factors (that) can increase your risk of premature ejaculation, including impotence, (with the) fear of losing your erection may cause you to rush through sexual encounters; health problems (if you have a medical concern that causes you to feel anxious during sex, such as a heart problem, you may have an increased likelihood of hurrying to ejaculate); stress (emotional or mental strain in any area of your life can play a role in premature ejaculation, often limiting your ability to relax and focus during sexual encounters); and the use of certain medications (rarely, drugs that influence the action of chemical messengers in the brain or psychotropics may cause premature ejaculation),” states Mayoclinic.com.

"No one has died directly from PE; but PE “may alter self-esteem, cause marital dysfunction, and may be a factor in depression with its obvious consequences,” eMedicine states, stressing the need to give PE the attention it deserves."

DELAYING THE CUMMING

Medically dealing with PE can be done with serotonergic medications, such as SSRIs (commonly-used anti-depressants), including Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor, and Lexapro, as these can help delay ejaculation.  Then there are dietary supplementsthat contain 5-HTP that can raise serotonin levels.

There are, of course, devices to help keep the penis protected from immediate stimulation, thereby helping in prolonging the sexual encounter, e.g. latex rigid sheathes fastened to the body; as well as vacuum pumps to help practice prolonging of ejaculation.

And then there are techniques that can be used, still to extend orgasm, e.g. using of the lateral coital position, which allows for the top (the one penetrating) to take more control, thereby dictate the flow of the sexual encounter, and the start-and-stop technique, to lengthen the sexual act.

The best solution, however, may still be to educate men.