What Causes Premature Ejaculation?

What is Premature Ejaculation?

The time it takes for a man to ejaculate during sexual intercourse will vary from couple to couple. At some point in their lives, many men will feel as though they have ejaculated too soon during a sexual encounter. However, premature ejaculation is generally defined as regularly ejaculating within one minute of penetration.

Premature ejaculation is one of the most common sexual problems that affects men. According to the Sexual Advice Association, estimates of how many men are affected by premature ejaculation range from 5% to 31%.

What Causes Premature Ejaculation?

If you have been experiencing premature ejaculation for a while, then it is likely that psychological factors have caused your condition. These can include:

Poor Early Sexual Experiences

Early sexual experiences can shape your current ejaculatory habits. If you had a traumatic sexual encounter at a young age, then this may be causing your premature ejaculation.

Additionally, if many of your early sexual experiences were associated with nervousness, anxiety and urgency, then this may be causing your condition.

Anxiety and Depression

Suffering from anxiety and depression can also cause premature ejaculation. This could be related to your relationship or completely separate from it.

If you are anxious about sex due to a fear of getting your partner pregnant, transmitting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or being scared of your sexual performance, this may be causing your condition.

Premature ejaculation may also be caused by having a bad body image and being uncomfortable with your partner.

If you aren't affected by the psychological factors above and have only suffered from premature ejaculation recently, then your condition may be caused by physical factors. These can include:

• Abnormal hormone levels
• Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters
• Abuse of alcohol or illicit substances
• Inflammation and infection of the prostate or the urethra
• Thyroid problems, such as having an overactive or underactive thyroid gland

If you are afraid that these physical factors may cause your premature ejaculation, then you should see your GP for an official diagnosis.

Relationship Problems

If you are experiencing relationship problems outside the bedroom, then this may be affecting your performance inside the bedroom.

If you suffer from a lot of stress in your relationship with your partner, such as from unrealistic expectations or nasty arguments, then this may be contributing to your condition.

Other relationship problems that may affect your premature ejaculation include a lack of trust between you and your partner or being generally dissatisfied with your relationship.

Are There Treatments Available for Premature Ejaculation?

There are many treatments available for premature ejaculation. These include:

Home treatments

Start-stop technique:

When you feel like you will ejaculate, completely withdraw from your partner for about 30 seconds until the sensation has passed. Start penetration again and repeat this method three to four more times to draw out the time it takes for you to ejaculate.

Pause-squeeze technique:

When you feel like you will ejaculate, withdraw from your partner and squeeze the head of your penis until you no longer feel the urge to ejaculate. Once you have, restart penetration and repeat this method a few more times before you ejaculate.

Read more: Try these exercises to treat premature ejaculation

You can also try other methods of arousal (foreplay) to prevent you from ejaculating sooner than you'd like.

Psychological Treatment

If you feel that your premature ejaculation is caused by psychological factors, such as having a traumatic early sexual experience or relationship problems, then seeking individual or couples therapy may improve these underlying issues. Treating these issues will not only help your overall mental health but will also help you stop your premature ejaculation.

Medical Treatments

Dapoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that has been developed to treat premature ejaculation. It is sold as Priligy in pharmacies and should be taken one to three hours before sex and not more than once a day. If you prefer not to discuss your condition with your GP, you can use an online pharmacy, such as Prescription Doctor, to buy Priligy online instead.

You can also use anaesthetic topicals (such as lidocaine or prilocaine) to numb your penis and reduce sensitivity during sex. You should apply this cream to your penis 30 minutes before sex and wash it off before you have intercourse, so that it doesn't numb your partner.

You can buy condoms with a numbing agent in them. These condoms reduce your sensitivity to help you and your partner enjoy intimacy for longer.

Thick condoms may also help to reduce your sensitivity, helping you last longer while also keeping you and your partner protected.

Authored & Reviewed By

Mohamed Imran Lakhi

MPharm - Lead Pharmacist

Imran Lakhi is the superintendent pharmacist and founder at Prescription Doctor. He has been at the core of our team.

Published on: 04/10/2019 Reviewed on: 05/06/2025