Premature ejaculation as a sexual dysfunction

Premature ejaculation, or PW, is the most common type of male sexual dysfunction. Some experts estimate that up to 30 per cent of men have premature ejaculation. The first definition to include PW as a sexual dysfunction was provided by the Masters and Johnson research team in the 1970s. The research of the scientists of this team focused on sexual behaviour and dysfunction. From these, they concluded that PW was classified as a sexual dysfunction as it negatively affects sex life.

You may assume that ejaculation - the release of seminal fluid from your body - is confined to your penis, testicles and other reproductive organs, but you would be wrong. In fact, your nervous system plays a key role. The sympathetic nervous system controls your body's stress-related functions, such as the 'fight or flight' response that allowed your caveman ancestors to fight or flee from dangerous predators.

Believe it or not, PW wasn't always considered a problem - in fact, it used to be something to strive for! Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a 'premature ejaculator' was considered a better man because he could impregnate a woman faster. This allowed him to have sex with more women and father more children, winning the 'sperm wars' and earning him a place at the head of his tribe.

A "quick" final - when can we talk about it

To answer this question, you need to ask yourself other, more specific ones. If you answered 'yes' to most or all of them, then you will have an answer to the question of whether PW applies to you:

• Are you unable to control when you ejaculate?
• Do you ejaculate within a minute or less of starting intercourse or even after penetration?
• Have you tried various methods of dealing with PW, only to have your hopes dashed?
• Are you dissatisfied with your sex life?
• Do you often worry about ejaculating too soon or not satisfying your partner?
• Does even foreplay often lead to ejaculation? Do you struggle with the slightest touch of your penis when you fuck a woman?
• When you have premature ejaculation, do you try to hide it (e.g. if you are still partially clothed)?
• Do you avoid intimate situations because they can lead to premature ejaculation - so why bother at all?
• Have you repeatedly been frustrated by your inability to satisfy a woman through intercourse?
• Has PW damaged your relationships with women?

There are two types of premature ejaculation: acquired/situational or chronic, meaning lifelong. Answer these four questions to find out which type of PW you have:

• Have you had problems with PW throughout your life?
• Does PW occur during all sexual situations, including intercourse and oral or manual stimulation, and with different partners (including yourself during masturbation)?
• Do you enjoy good health and are you free from problems such as prostate infection, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. Multiple sclerosis and other conditions known to cause PW?
• Are you taking medications such as sedatives, opiates and ephedrine or pseudoephedrine (found in some decongestants and cold medicines)?

If you answered 'yes' to the first three questions and 'no' to question four, you probably have chronic, lifelong PW. If you answered 'no' to the first two questions and 'yes' to questions three and/or four, you probably have acquired PW.

Is this really a problem?

Chronic PW covers three main issues:

1. You don't last long before orgasm
2. You cannot delay ejaculation
3. Negative impact on psyche and relationship

Let's break these issues down …

• Think you have PW because you can't persevere for hours? Forget what you've seen in the movies or heard in the locker room. Most guys can only actually have intercourse for an average of about two to five minutes before ejaculating. For PW men, however, this is a dream, as most can only last about a minute or less before reaching orgasm.
• The old 'think of something else' trick doesn't work for guys with PW. They cannot control or delay ejaculation during or shortly after penetration - whether they want to or not. Of course, all men have a point of what we call the 'ejaculation threshold' during sex when they can't stop themselves from orgasming, no matter what. And all men have an 'ejaculation threshold', which is the amount of stimulation they can experience before reaching this 'point of no return'. This threshold is lower in PW guys, and their ejaculation point inevitably comes much sooner.
• Needless to say, these first two problems - the inability to last long enough and the inability to stop ejaculation - do not inspire sexual confidence. Instead, they can trigger a whole range of negative emotions in men with PW: you may feel angry and frustrated at yourself, uncertain and anxious about your sex life, embarrassed, worried about your relationship, or a combination of these.

Why ... so soon?

• Psychological issues. Historically, PW has been seen as an emotional problem, rooted in psychological issues such as depression, anxiety and guilt. Although many men with chronic, lifelong PW may indeed suffer from these issues, they appear to be the result of coping with PW rather than its cause.
• Masturbation habits. Some studies show that when men add visual stimulation to physical stimulation, their ejaculatory control decreases and the potential for PW to occur increases significantly. PW is much more likely to occur when there is a combination of what we call psychogenic (visual/mental) and reflex (physical) stimulation.
• Greater penile sensitivity. It is possible that men with PW may have greater sensitivity in their penises, which would help explain why they ejaculate too quickly.

Spontaneous solution or method?

True or false? Premature ejaculation is treatable. The answer is: False. I wish I could say that there is a cure for PW - anyone who claims otherwise is lying. Think about it: If we had an effective cure for chronic, lifelong PW, it would no longer be a problem.

Unfortunately, the problem cannot be counted on to resolve itself. Acquired PW can improve if the condition that causes it is treated - with the help of a psychotherapist, for example. Chronic PW, on the other hand, is incurable - it is rooted deep in the DNA, i.e. it is hereditary.

If you are affected by chronic or acquired premature ejaculation, don't give up, get advice from a sexologist and psychotherapist or join a Sexual Potency Webinar - you can still enjoy your sex life. Dealing with PW is like fighting any battle: You need different weapons in your arsenal to get the best results.

That's why a therapy plan is crucial for success. With a positive attitude, a willingness to stick to the programme for better or worse, and the tools necessary to address all aspects of the problem, PW can be tackled and ultimately overcome.

The Webinar Academy platform has resources to help you better understand the issue of premature ejaculation. The Webinar Academy training platform offers interesting training courses with the main aim of increasing knowledge of contemporary problems and their solutions....