What does Premature Ejaculation mean?
Ejaculation means the evacuation of the semen at the end of sexual intercourse with orgasm, premature means not fully developed or early (early-born babies are called premature). Premature ejaculation, despite the lack of a clear definition, is when a man ejaculates as an orgasm against his will. This situation can be continuous or occasional.
Is premature ejaculation a disease?
The concept of premature ejaculation and the optimal period before ejaculation have been debated extensively until now, but no definite consensus has emerged. First of all, it should be known that this is not a disease. As each individual has different height and weight, the ejaculation time during sexual intercourse is also different. In reality, this condition does not pose a significant problem in terms of the man’s satisfaction (orgasm); however, when the woman is unable to achieve orgasm, she is unable to derive sufficient pleasure from sexual intercourse, and this situation makes both parties uncomfortable. Over time, this may lead to loss of confidence in men, avoiding sexual intercourse, deterioration in relationships, and even erectile dysfunction. Therefore, this period should be extended in these people, that is, it should be treated.
How long should ejaculation time be in sexual intercourse?
As mentioned above, there are many different opinions on this issue.
- ⁃ Ejaculation before 15 entry-exit movements into the vagina,
- ⁃ Absence of female orgasm or ejaculation of men before women in at least half of sexual intercourses,
- ⁃ Ejaculation when the male sexual organ enters the vagina or just before it,
- ⁃ Ejaculation of the male sexual organ within 7 minutes after entering the vagina,
- ⁃ Ejaculation of the male sexual organ within 2 minutes after entering the vagina,
- ⁃ Ejaculation of the male sexual organ within 1 minutes after entering the vagina,
As can be seen here, giving time in this manner is not a very good method. Some authorities argued that what matters from this point of view is not how long the man can delay ejaculation but how satisfied the man and his partner are with the duration of sexual intercourse.
How common is premature ejaculation in the population?
This issue affects about one-third of the population, but admission to the hospital and the doctor is too rare. This is mostly due to embarrassment and hesitation. In societies where the issue of sexuality is considered a shame, men may not even know or question whether their partner has an orgasm. Women also do not share that they do not have an orgasm with their partners. This is another reason for the low number of applications for a doctor.
Are there any types of premature ejaculation?
Two types of premature ejaculation have been defined. The first is life-long premature ejaculation (primary premature ejaculation), which starts with the first sexual experience and happens in both partners, and the second is premature ejaculation that arises afterward without previous background (acquired premature ejaculation). The second usually develops due to some diseases (such as prostate or urinary tract infections, spinal cord tumors and injuries).
How is premature ejaculation diagnosed?
First, a thorough history of the patient should be taken, and the physician should determine if the patient has premature ejaculation. Because this concept, which cannot be defined clearly, is interpreted differently by patients. Expectations come to the fore here. Like the person wishes the time to be much longer even though there is no premature ejaculation. It can be determined if premature ejaculation is a lifelong condition or a later-acquired condition thanks to the detailed history. If it is a condition that started later, all diseases that may cause it should be reviewed. For this, blood and urine tests and, if necessary, films can be taken.
How to treat premature ejaculation?
The aim of the treatment is to increase the person’s control over ejaculation and thus increase the pleasure for both parties from sexual intercourse. The treatment options that can be applied for this are as follows;
⁃ Behavioral Therapy and Psychotherapy: First of all, men’s concerns about this issue should be resolved. Since sexual intercourse does not concern only one person, this problem should also be considered as a common problem of the couple and a solution should be sought together. Couples engage in sexual therapy together and commit to it for a certain period. Here, couples are recommended to masturbate in the first period without having intercourse and without relationship anxiety. The masturbation performed by the woman is stopped when there will be ejaculation, she waits for a while, and then she resumes. The same start-stop exercise is used in the second stage, except this time during intercourse. It is aimed that the man can control the ejaculation time after a certain period of time. However, although this method is beneficial in the early period, couples find it difficult to maintain this attitude. Since repeated interruptions in sexual intercourse can make it difficult for women to achieve orgasm.
⁃ Using a condom: The condom acts by reducing the direct stimulation of the penile skin. Some men reported that they were less stimulated with condoms and were able to engage in sexual activity for longer periods of time.
⁃ Creams Reducing Penis Sensitivity: This type of treatment is based on applying creams containing anesthetic drugs to the penile skin before sexual intercourse. To avoid vaginal numbness during sexual intercourse, it is advised to wash the penis with soap just before beginning intercourse. However, this method can reduce the satisfaction level of men.
⁃ Medication: The most commonly used drugs to prevent premature ejaculation are anti-depressants. Apart from the depression-curing effects of these medications, one of the side effects (which is a term for an unfavorable effect) is a delay in ejaculation, so anti-depressants are used to benefit from this side effect. Antidepressants should be taken daily (regardless of the relationship) and should be tapered off when discontinued. Disposable medications to suppress premature ejaculation have also been introduced in recent years. These medicines are drunk with 1 glass of water 1 hour before intercourse and do not necessitate daily use.
