Premature ejaculation is a psychological problem and not a disease of the male reproductive tract or nervous system. If premature ejaculation occurs so early in sex that neither partner is satisfied or especially aroused, both partners are going to be dissatisfied both emotionally and physically. Certainly, lasting such a short time during sex is not helpful to a man’s sense of sexual self-confidence.
From an evolutionary perspective, male animals which ejaculate quickly are more likely to fertilize a female than those which ejaculates slowly. Rapid orgasm & ejaculation would be more likely to be pass an animal’s genes on to the next generations. So from this point of view, lasting longer during sex might not be such a good idea!
Premature ejaculation is a psychological “disorder”. But what makes a man unable to last very long during sex? One theory is that boys are conditioned to reach climax quickly when masturbating or during early sexual experiences without privacy or with sex-workers. The theory is that this pattern of rapid release is difficult to subsequently change.
As we know, female arousal and orgasm takes much longer than male arousal – so a man who knows how to last longer in bed may be more attractive as a sexual partner. Conversely, men who cannot last long enough to get a woman to orgasm may be defined as premature ejaculators, even though very few women achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse. This means defining premature ejaculation in terms of how long a man can last during sex is fundamentally flawed.
Some researchers have suggested premature ejaculation may not be just psychological. With determination and persistence lasting far longer than you might expect (possible because many researchers in this field are paid by drug companies) scientists have found differences in nerve conduction times and speeds, as well as hormonal differences between men with premature ejaculation and those whose staying power is much longer.
As a result, so the idea goes, some men may have hyperexcitability or oversensitivity of their penis, which stops down-regulation of their sympathetic nervous system pathways and results in an inability to delay orgasm. Indeed, certain nerves in the lumbar spinal cord are associated with ejaculation, and may be linked to excitatory and inhibitory dopamine pathways located deep in the brain. These pathways appear to play significant roles in sexual behavior. However, this proves nothing, since the way the brain responds to sexual stimulation may also determine levels of dopamine. It is erroneous to suggest that such work is the basis on which medications specifically targeting delay of ejaculation may be developed.
What other factors may affect how long a man lasts in bed?
Possible biochemical factors affecting premature ejaculation include testosterone, the male hormone which is thought to play a role in men’s ejaculatory reflex. Higher free testosterone levels occur in men with premature ejaculation. Another factor which may influence how along a man can last during sex are the biochemical parameters of the prostate and epididymis, because research in a Chinese andrology journal seemed to show that semen from men who lacked the ability to last longer during sex contained significantly less acid phosphatase and alpha-glucosidase than semen from other men.
And many men with premature ejaculation have low serum levels of prolactin; although in one study, men in the lowest quartile of serum prolactin levels also had some linked metabolic syndrome, together with erectile dysfunction, and higher than average levels of anxiety. So while prolactin may contribute to premature ejaculation, the presence of anxiety in many men with PE suggests that biochemical factors play only a minor (if any) role in the genesis of premature ejaculation.
While other factors may affect how to last longer during sex, we do know that psychological factors greatly influence premature ejaculation and in particular a man’s ability to control his orgasm.
Men with premature ejaculation have much lower intravaginal ejaculatory latency time or IELT (obviously) – it just means they cannot last very long in bed – but a shorter IELT is not the only measure of premature ejaculation. In fact, perception of ejaculation control changes both partners’ sexual satisfaction or distress, regardless of how long a man can last during sex.
So while premature ejaculation is perhaps not entirely a psychological issue, such factors do indicate a massive psychological role. Men who wish to learn how to last longer during sex need to accept that the work starts with their minds….