Premature Ejaculation? Don’t Wait to Get Help

It’s embarrassing. We don’t talk about it, to anybody, even our doctors. Still, it’s an unavoidable fact that nearly every man at some point in his life will experience premature ejaculation. For the majority, it will be a short-term problem, but for some, it can go on for longer periods, creating depression, affecting relationships and self-esteem, and significantly decreasing quality of life.

WHAT IS IT?
For some men, premature ejaculation is an ongoing and consistent inability to refrain from ejaculating too soon. While this condition has been around for a long time, it’s only recently that it has received a lot of attention from the medical community. It hadn’t even really been thoroughly defined as a “condition” until the International Society of Sexual Medicine formed an ad hoc committee of experts to flesh out a proper definition: 
“A male sexual dysfunction characterized by ejaculation, which always or nearly always occurs prior to or within about one minute of vaginal penetration, and the inability to delay ejaculation on all or nearly all vaginal penetrations, and negative personal consequences, such as distress, bother, frustration and/or avoidance of sexual intimacy.” 
The main point is that in these cases, premature ejaculation is not an occasional event, but an ongoing sexual experience that is damaging to the individual and any relationships he may enter into.

HOW PREVALENT IS IT?
According to a report released by Continuing Medical Education titled “Premature Ejaculation: Current Medical Treatment and New Directions,” there are a number of studies that have shown what most men, and probably most women, already know—premature ejaculation is a disorder for which patients are least likely to seek professional assistance. Therefore, we have little evidence on which to base any estimate of prevalence. 
However, some studies report that between 21 and 39 percent of all males suffer from consistent premature ejaculation.

CAUSES AND TREATMENTS
According to the report mentioned above, causes can be divided into two groups: 1) psychogenic, in which anxiety, an unpleasant introductory or early sexual experience, infrequent sexual intercourse, poor ejaculatory control techniques, and evolutionary as well as psychodynamic factors caused the problem, and 2) biogenic, in which penile hypersensitivity, hyperexcitable ejaculatory reflex, hyperarousability, endocrinopathy and a genetic predisposition caused the problem. 
Treatments include topical creams, medicines and sexual techniques. Topical agents decrease sensitivity at the end of the penis in order to provide more control. They work, but come with a few downsides. They can cause difficulty when using a condom, can anesthetize the entire shaft, desensitize your partner, and irritate the penis and/or vagina. 
As for medications, there is no single medication for the condition, but a number of other medications have had some effect. These include selective alpha blockers and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These medications can come with a number of possible side effects, but they are usually mild and vary from person to person. 
Finally, sexual techniques are no-cost, at-home methods that may offer relief. These include masturbating a few hours before intercourse in order to reduce sexual tension, kegel exercises to strengthen the PC muscles that help control ejaculation, stopping intercourse when the urge to ejaculate is overwhelming and waiting for it to fade, and what is known as the “squeeze” technique where your partner squeezes the penis where the head joins the shaft just before ejaculation for approximately 30 seconds. After the urge to ejaculate passes, you can continue and repeat the squeeze as necessary.
Whatever method you decide to use, try something. Talk to your doctor, read articles, try some techniques, anything but allowing the problem to continue. It’s not just about sex, but about your health, your relationship, and your well-being. You owe it to yourself and those who love you to do something about it.

Dr. Larry TETSOTI
1009 Brighton Beach Ave., Floor 4
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 336-6166
107-21 Queens Blvd, Suite 6
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 261-2992