Premature ejaculation is a prevalent sexual dysfunction found in men all over the world. It might come as a surprise, but did you know that 30% of the global population is affected by premature ejaculation.
The article is a part of our comprehensive series of blogs on “Premature Ejaculation”.
What is premature ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation occurs when you have an orgasm just before sexual intercourse or immediately after you start. There is no commonly agreed predefined time limit to how long a person would last in bed, but if you have an orgasm before having the time to enjoy sex or satisfy your partner, you are suffering from PE.
For many men, the embarrassment of premature ejaculation damages relationships and causes problems in intimacy.
How common is premature ejaculation?
Although many sufferers tend to think that they alone have this problem worldwide, premature ejaculation is a pretty common dysfunction.
Research has indicated that around 30-40% of men experience one or another type of PE at some point in their lives. This is why the American Urological Association labelled this as a very common type of sexual activity dysfunction.
The time frame for premature ejaculation
The international guideline defines PR as ejaculating within 1-3 minutes of sexual intercourse or less
On average, the standard time for sexual intercourse was found to be 5.5 minutes after a study involving 500 couples around the world.
As the requirements of each couple are unique, it is up to you and your partner to decide. However, if you as well as your partner feels that the ejaculation time is speedy and causing distress during your most intimate moments, it is time to seek professional medical help.
Premature ejaculation causes
Although many factors collectively contribute to premature ejaculation, scientists cannot zero in on the exact reason for this issue.
Let us take a look at some of the popular causes of PE.
Mental health issues
For ages, traditional doctors have advocated that sex is in mind. Therefore, if you are not in a good frame of mind, there is a high chance that you won’t be able to enjoy physical intimacy with your partner.
Some of the psychological issues that cause premature ejaculation are:
- Stress
- Being in a state of constant guilt
- Issues in relationships
- Lack of self-confidence
- Have a history of repressed sexual feeling
- Genetic factors
- Having unrealistic ideas about sex
Serotonin
This is a very important hormone that stabilises our happiness, well being, mood and other feelings. Serotonin has an impact on almost all parts of the human body.
It also helps in sleeping, eating, digestion and other bodily functions. Conversely, fewer amounts of serotonin in the body can often lead to depression and shorten your ejaculatory time.
Level of serotonin specific nerve synapse is believed to be directly related to your ejaculation time. The lower the amount, the faster the ejaculation.
Ageing
Age factor plays a vital role in retaining your erection for the entire duration of sex and extending the time of ejaculation.
Ageing causes loss of firmness in your erection and causes you to ejaculate early. However, this is not common for all elderly adults. There are thousands of elderly men who have a happy sex life.
Relationship problems
If you have a bitter relationship with your partner, there is a high chance that this would cause disinterest in sex, resulting in premature ejaculation.
Anxiety
Anxiety about sexual performance is a known cause of premature ejaculation. People who are highly anxious about how well they do in bed will develop communication problems with their partners and have less self-confidence, ultimately resulting in premature ejaculation.
Similarly, anxiety related to limited sexual knowledge or experience may also sometimes lead to PE.
Diabetes
PE is common among men who are suffering from diabetes. This is mainly due to the problem with the nerves controlling erection and the hardening of arteries that supply nutrient-rich blood to the penis.
Hormonal Issues
Imbalances of essential hormones such as thyroxine, testosterone, prolactin, lutein etc., are possible to cause premature ejaculation.
A study involving 36 participants indicated that low levels of prolactin and lutein cause premature ejaculation.
Other than the issues mentioned above, swelling in the prostate gland or the urethra may also sometimes lead to PE.
Bottom Line
Worrying about premature ejaculation is a thing of the past. Advances in medical research have brought forth several innovative treatments that are highly effective in curing this problem. Read our article on “Treatment options for premature ejaculation” to know more.
Check out our list of medications that are helpful in PE treatment.
