Premature Ejaculation a.k.a. 2 Minute Noodle

Premature ejaculation (PE) is the most common of the three ejaculation problems in men. It is when the man finishes within minutes or sometimes even within seconds of starting in other words the sex is over before it even begins. It can be a real relationship killer and a real knock on the man’s confidence.  Often the woman says “its ok baby” but he can see the disappointment in her eyes. However, if it continues to occur the woman can get very impatient as she gets ever more sexually frustrated and this can lead to all sorts of other problems including infidelity, arguments etc.

Having said that whether ejaculation is premature or not can be subjective as there’s no definition as to how long sex should last. So each couple has to decide if the time they spend is satisfactory. For instance, the average session lasts about 5 minutes but some couples might find this unsatisfactory and find 10minutes meets their needs and would go on to say the man suffers from premature ejaculation if he lasts the standard 5mins.

Also occasionally there could be episodes of premature ejaculation i.e. sometimes your lover boy with the stamina of a stallion might turn into the one-minute man, this is nothing to be concerned about as its quite normal to have a few off days here and there.

So what causes premature ejaculation?

1.    Overactive or underactive thyroid gland

2.    Prostate problems

3.    Using recreational drugs such as opoids, weed/ganga/skunk/igbó/ cannabis/Indian hemp and whatever other name it goes by.

4.    Alcohol

5.    Stress

6.    Relationship problems -this can be a vicious cycle because PE can cause relationship problems which in itself can cause PE.

7.    Depression

8.    Feeling under pressure to perform especially if relationship is new.

9.    Having an extra sensitive penis

10. Strict upbringing and beliefs about sex.

11.Bad habits picked from earlier sexual experiences e.g. if a man as teenager has conditioned himself to ejaculate quickly before he’s caught masturbating he will take this into a relationship and could find it difficult to unlearn this habit.

12.A traumatic sexual experience from childhood.

What to do about premature ejaculation.

You could

·       Masturbate/knock one hour or two before having sex. I don't usually advocate masturbation but it does have its place in a relationship.

·       Use a thick condom or where two condoms to reduce the sensation this means you can spend more time satisfying your partner and then when you feel she’s satisfied you can strip down to one condom, if using that as a means of contraception, or take it off if regular partner so you can finish off as well.

·       Go to couples’ therapy to help you deal with any relationship issues that could be the cause

Other things you try include

·       Using local anaesthetic gel or spray just before sex. I would not recommend this though because as it can dull the sensation for you it can also dull the sensation for her and also it can cause skin irritation such as intense itching, redness and soreness in both of you.

·       Use love condoms. These condoms contain a benzocaine, a local anaesthetic. Although this can make you last longer and not cause your partner skin irritation, it could very well leave you with a sore penis so use with caution. Durex Extended Pleasure condom is an example.

·        The SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) group of antidepressants. This is an unlicensed use of these medicines i.e. when the medicines are used for purposes other than what they are marketed for. Recently though one SSRI has been licensed and released solely for the treatment not the cure of PE, Priligy a.k.a dapoxetine. Basically you take it a couple of hours before you expect to have sex and it should make you last a little longer. I should stress that it doesn’t work for everyone as studies have shown that it works for about 40% of men who have taken it. It can cause side effects such as insomnia, headaches, diarrhoea, dry mouth and nausea.

If you are experiencing PE talk to your partner about it and allow her to talk to you about how she feels. It’s better if you both deal with it together and find a solution together.