In 2007 a panel of 21 experts from the International Society for Sexual Medicine reviewed research and wrote a definition of premature ejaculation:

• Premature ejaculation is that male sexual dysfunction which is characterized by ejaculation that nearly always or always occurs within or prior to about one minute of penetrating the vagina. It is also the condition whereby the individual is incapable of delaying ejaculation on nearly all or all cases of penetrating the vagina; in addition, it represents the negative personal consequences like bother, distress, the avoidance of sexual intimacy and/or frustration.

While it may cause distress and frustration, it is important for men to understand they are not alone. The Mayo Clinic estimates that as many as one in three men experience premature ejaculation. A variety of psychological and biological causes can contribute to this condition.

Erectile Dysfunction

Men who have problems with erectile dysfunction may become anxious about their sexual performance. Getting and/or maintaining an erection is something they are already worried about. This anxiety can cause a pattern of trying to hurry to achieve orgasm, therefore leading to premature ejaculation.

General Anxiety

Many men underestimate how intertwined sexual performance and emotional well-being are. Stress and anxiety definitely play a role in premature ejaculation. It may occur with a new partner because of the heightened sense of arousal and the desire to perform well. The increased pressure can cause tension or slight panic and cause men’s bodies to go into overdrive. Common worries can be:

• Worry about getting her pregnant.
• Participating in an affair and being afraid someone will find out.
• Depression.
• Lack of confidence.
• Unrealistic performance expectations.
• Stress over completely unrelated things like finances or work.
• Fear of contracting a sexually transmitted disease.

If a man is experiencing premature ejaculation due to anxiety, it can become a repetitive pattern. He may feel he has performed inadequately and so the next time he has sex, will likely be even more anxious and that definitely will not help the problem.

Premature ejaculation may also come from previous experiences. A man may have had sex secretly and quietly in situations that necessitated a quick climax so he would not be discovered. It could also stem from childhood abuse or other negative childhood situations.

As an interesting side note, when looking at it from an evolutionary standpoint, scientists have theorized that cavemen had to ejaculate quickly to ensure a female’s pregnancy.

Relationship Issues

If a man’s relationship has hit a rough patch he may begin to experience premature ejaculation. Because the relationship could be in trouble, he may worry about the importance sex has in maintaining the relationship. It could be the tension between the couple or even his desire to get sex over with as quickly as possible.

Inexperience or Significant Gaps in Sexual Encounters

Teenagers as well as inexperienced men tend to experience premature ejaculation because of the heightened state of arousal and sensitivity of their penis. Along the same lines, a significant gap in the time between sexual partners can cause a man to react more intensely to touches and sex than they would otherwise.

Other Causes

Some other factors in the incidence of premature ejaculation are not as common, but are still valid concerns. Rarely, premature ejaculation can be caused by neurological issues, medical conditions like thyroid problems, prostate problems, or medicines that cause sexual stimulation to feel more intense.

Getting a Diagnosis

While the most likely causes of a man’s premature ejaculation are psychological in nature, there are certain things that he should pay attention to. These things may point to potentially serious medical conditions, or even issues that are quickly and easily treated.

• Sudden onset of premature ejaculation when it has never been a problem before.
• If medication that may cause premature ejaculation is being taken for either physical or psychological reasons.
• If the condition has increased steadily over time, or has started causing problems in his life and relationships, as well as causing feelings of inadequacy.
• If he has other physical symptoms that run parallel to the onset of premature ejaculation.

Treatment Options

There are many different treatment options for premature ejaculation. Many men try behavior therapy first. This type of therapy teaches them to be aware of when they are going to ejaculate and take measures to delay it. These techniques include:

• Sexual Positions – Experimenting with different sexual positions to figure out which of them allows for more control over the muscles that cause ejaculation.
• Starting and Stopping – This technique involves the withdrawal of the penis before ejaculation. This method allows the man to relax enough to prevent premature ejaculation, thereby increasing the length of sex.
• Biofeedback – This is a technique proven to work for all kinds of physical issues, including premature ejaculation. A computer will monitor brainwaves, heart rate, muscle tension, and skin temperature among other things. Through biofeedback, a man can learn to control the sensation and muscles that cause premature ejaculation.
• The Squeeze Technique – When a man feels like he is going to ejaculate before he is ready, he will withdraw his penis and have
  his partner squeeze the top of his penis where the head joins the shaft. Once the urge to ejaculate has passed, his partner releases his penis. Then the man and his partner can resume their sexual activity. If the urge comes back, repeat the method.
• Masturbation – Masturbating an hour or two before sex helps men delay ejaculation because they are slightly desensitized at that time.

Premature ejaculation is normal, has many causes, and is easily treated.

Are you dealing with premature ejaculation and you don’t know how to prevent it from happening? Depending on your age and your health you may suffer from this more so than others. It isn’t impossible to prevent this from happening you just have to know how to do it correctly and not stress about it. Stress may increase the chances of it happening because stress and not taking care of yourself can result in sexual dysfunction.

What are the causes of Premature Ejaculation?

Unfortunately, the causes of premature ejaculation aren’t specific. Studies have been done and it’s more often that men of an older age will experience a delay when they are having an orgasm. The following are potential causes:

• New partner
• Not having had sex for a long period of time
• Psychological problems
• Guilt
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Medical Problems
• Hormones
• Injury
• Medication side effects

And many more that aren’t listed.

In certain cases these kinds of problems will resolve themselves all on their own without there being a need for a medical treatment. When it comes to practicing medication or relaxation techniques it’s common that they can work themselves out. IT will allow for a tension distraction and this may help you with the premature ejaculation. There are many instances in which drinking a lot or doing drugs will cause this as well.

Prevention Techniques

If you see a doctor they may recommend that you practice your own techniques. Everyone relaxes differently and it’s possible that you will have to control certain sensations that you have.  It’s possible that using a condom is going to reduce the sensation that you feel during sexual intercourse. This could prevent you from ejaculating too early and also if you attempt to change positions this may help you as well.

Try going to behavioral therapy because it could really just have to do with the anxiety that you have. Knowing that you have the problem may increase your chances of continuously experiencing it. Anxiety can do that to anyone – not only when it comes to ejaculating too early.

If you are taking a certain type of medication and it is preventing you from functioning sexually you may consider changing your medication. Oddly enough, there are antidepressants that will actually treat this problem. Of course, you should talk to your doctor about getting on these before you do because there are other side effects. If you’ve heard of Prozac, Paxil or Zoloft you should consider taking them if the problem is bad enough. It could potentially fix the problem because of the effect that it has on the SSRIs. Those will affect the orgasm and it will not give you depression – make sure that you get approval from a physician.

Biological Causes of Premature Ejaculation

There aren’t only psychological factors that play into premature ejaculation. It also has to do with biological factors that could run in your family.

• Rollercoaster Hormone Levels
• Chemical Imbalances
• Issues with thyroid function
• Prostate Inflammation or Inflammation of the urethra

A lot of people wonder whether or not there is anything even wrong with premature ejaculation; in a sense there could be. It’s often embarrassing and frustrating to the man and depending on the relationship it could threaten the happiness of their significant other – but, you shouldn’t come to the conclusion that there isn’t anything that you can do about it. There are plenty of steps that you can take so that you have a happy sex life and it’s really about going to a doctor and discussing with them your health or what types of medication may work best for you.

The condition can be so bad sometimes that the ejaculation actually takes place before the intercourse takes place. This can really damage the guy’s self-confidence and it can be very frustrating for the partner as well. If the woman wants to get pregnant this can also be very difficult, but there are always doctors who are willing to help. All in all, PE can be very irritating and it doesn’t make for a lot of sexual satisfaction.

Believe it or not, a lot of it has to do with mental anxiety, stress or hormonal imbalances that are taking place within the body. If the thyroid isn’t working correctly or if hormones aren’t balanced it is going to affect the release of come during sexual excitement. Too many men get angry because they think that there isn’t anything that they can do about it. That isn’t the case whatsoever. There are so many solutions, medications, relaxation techniques and gels/methods of controlling when you ejaculate. It doesn’t have to be an embarrassing experience every time that a sexual experience is taking place.

Understanding that you can get Help

Cognitive behavior treatment will not only help you with this side of things but with the mental stress that you may be enduring. Too many people in general are unaware of how stress and anxiety affects their body from work and from social situations. It is a problem if it is affecting your health and your everyday life. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing your eating habits, working out more, cutting alcohol or drugs out of your daily lifestyle. You can have a healthy sex life and a healthy relationship with someone that you really care about. It doesn’t have to affect your happiness or your relationship with others because you have the ability to take control of you, your happiness and your life.