Premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation is a common medical condition in men that causes you to ejaculate too soon, or sooner than you or your partner would like during sex. Up to 1 in 3 men say they’ve experienced it at some stage in their lives. Beyond the direct impact on your sex life, some men find that premature ejaculation can also affect their mental health and relationships.

What is premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation is ejaculating (orgasming) before you or your partner wants you to when you’re having sex. Typically this means you ejaculate within one minute after entering your partner, and that this happens regularly when you have sex.

There are two types of premature ejaculation: primary premature ejaculation and secondary premature ejaculation

Primary premature ejaculation 

You have primary premature ejaculation if you have always had the condition. This is often psychological in nature and can be caused by anxiety about your sexual performance or if you’ve suffered with a traumatic sexual experience at a young age. Some men suffer with primary premature ejaculation because the skin on their penis is very sensitive to touch, causing them to ejaculate before they’d like to. 

Secondary premature ejaculation 

You have secondary premature ejaculation if you have recently developed the condition. This can be caused by a mixture of psychological and physical factors. Physical factors can include things like drinking too much alcohol, taking recreational drugs, or having a different medical condition that causes premature ejaculation as a side effect. If you have recently developed premature ejaculation you should contact your GP who will ask further questions to help find the underlying cause. 

While premature ejaculation is usually considered a physical condition that affects the penis, it can lead to mental health problems without support. If you do have premature ejaculation, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, with 1 in 3 men experiencing the condition. If you are struggling to manage your condition, we can provide advice and treatment to help you.

What are the symptoms of premature ejaculation?

The only symptom of premature ejaculation is ejaculating too soon or sooner than you or your partner would like, usually within one minute of penetrative sex. However, this can also happen during other sexual situations or activities including masturbation. 

There are no other symptoms of this condition.

What are the long term effects of premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation will rarely lead to any long term physical health problems, if left untreated. However it can be frustrating and upsetting, and affect your mental health as a result. If you’re in a relationship, premature ejaculation may add stress to this too.

When should I see a doctor about premature ejaculation?

You should speak to a doctor about premature ejaculation if this is happening to you regularly, causing you relationship problems, or affecting your mental health.

If premature ejaculation happens as a one off, there’s no need to see a doctor unless it starts happening more frequently.

There are also some things you can try at home that can help treat premature ejaculation, before you see a doctor.