Premature ejaculation (P.E.) is defined as ejaculation with minimal sexual stimulation and climax occurring before, upon, or shortly after vaginal penetration, prior to a person’s desire to do so, over which the sufferer has little voluntary control. P.E. typically causes the sufferer and partner extreme bother and distress.

This is a very common male sexual dysfunction, occurring in up to 30% of the male population, and affecting men of all ages, ethnicities, and socio-economic groups. P.E. can be devastating, causing embarrassment, frustration and loss of self-confidence for males, and negatively affecting their relationships with their partners. The basis of P.E. can be psychological and/or biological – with guilt, fear, and performance anxiety, but also genetics and certain medical disorders playing possible roles in its occurrence.

P.E. may be classified as either primary (lifelong) or secondary (acquired). Primary P.E. applies to men who have had the problem since becoming sexually active and is thought to have a strong biological component. Psychological or situational stressors may contribute to secondary P.E., but it is also associated with erectile dysfunction, prostatitis and urethritis.

Our society’s cultural emphasis on ejaculation as the focal point of sexual intercourse tends to exacerbate the performance anxiety that can initiate the problem. The occurrence of P.E. has social and psychological consequences that tend to perpetuate the problem as fear of and mental preoccupation with P.E. can actually induce the unwanted ejaculation, creating an unfortunate vicious cycle. But males experiencing P.E. need to know that various types of help are available and that there is no need to suffer in silence. Treatments are varied, consisting of behavior modification techniques, physical and pharmacological interventions, and sexual counseling.