Too fast, too furious
Men don’t like talking about premature ejaculation, but most of them wonder whether they have it. And if they have it, what they can do to overcome it.
How to Make Love All Night: and Drive a Woman Wild! The Way of the Superior Man! Make Her SCREAM: Last Longer, Come Harder and Be the Best She’s Ever Had!
These are just some of the actual book titles found on Amazon should you search for ‘premature ejaculation.’ Regardless of the content between the covers, these titles alone give the impression that a ‘real man’ (or to quote one of the book titles, a ‘superior man’) should be able to please his partner not just sexually, but also all through the night like the Energizer bunny, with the partner screaming and swooning from the ecstasy of it all.
The average man may flinch from the pressure (or try to rise to the challenge), but for someone with the problem of premature ejaculation (PE), the condition can be especially crippling to the self esteem. Furthermore, a lack of sexual fulfilment would eventually threaten the long-term happiness in any relationship.
HealthToday sits down with Assoc Prof Dr Christopher Ho, a consultant urologist and sexual medicine practitioner, to get down to the root of the condition known as PE, and the various treatment options available.
Not So Fast, Man!
Given how closely a man’s sexual performance is linked to his sense of confidence and self-esteem, it is little wonder that many men would prefer not to think about PE. If they do talk about it, it is usually during a ‘men’s only’ moment at the mamak stall, when ‘bros’ share notes and tips on bedroom matters.
Despite many men putting a lid on the problem, PE is actually quite common. While the estimated number of men with this problem can vary from one study to another, Dr Ho states that, generally, about 30% of men around the world have problems that can be defined as premature ejaculation.
These are just some of the actual book titles found on Amazon should you search for ‘premature ejaculation.’ Regardless of the content between the covers, these titles alone give the impression that a ‘real man’ (or to quote one of the book titles, a ‘superior man’) should be able to please his partner not just sexually, but also all through the night like the Energizer bunny, with the partner screaming and swooning from the ecstasy of it all.
The average man may flinch from the pressure (or try to rise to the challenge), but for someone with the problem of premature ejaculation (PE), the condition can be especially crippling to the self esteem. Furthermore, a lack of sexual fulfilment would eventually threaten the long-term happiness in any relationship.
HealthToday sits down with Assoc Prof Dr Christopher Ho, a consultant urologist and sexual medicine practitioner, to get down to the root of the condition known as PE, and the various treatment options available.
Not So Fast, Man!
Given how closely a man’s sexual performance is linked to his sense of confidence and self-esteem, it is little wonder that many men would prefer not to think about PE. If they do talk about it, it is usually during a ‘men’s only’ moment at the mamak stall, when ‘bros’ share notes and tips on bedroom matters.
Despite many men putting a lid on the problem, PE is actually quite common. While the estimated number of men with this problem can vary from one study to another, Dr Ho states that, generally, about 30% of men around the world have problems that can be defined as premature ejaculation.
How soon is too soon? A US study found that the average man’s “lasting power” from the start of penetration to ejaculation is 5.4 minutes. If your arrival schedule is around this value, then you are perfectly normal. |
“There are two types of PE – lifelong and acquired,” explains Dr Ho. Lifelong PE describes the condition that initially manifested during the man’s first sexual intercourse; the man has never experienced a ‘normal’ intercourse as a result. Acquired PE occurs when a man who has never suffered the condition before starts to show symptoms, often due to psychological factors (stress, anxiety or impatience, especially when the man has a new partner) or organic reasons such as an underlying medical condition.
• For men with lifelong PE, the average ‘staying power’ is one minute or less. • For men with acquired PE, the average ‘staying power’ is three minutes or less. |
Dr Ho goes on to explain that there are three typical signs of PE. One, the man experiences PE (1-3 minutes or less) consistently over a period of time. Two, he has problems controlling (or delaying) ejaculation nearly all the time. Three, his condition is causing emotional distress, and the man may even begin to avoid intimacy out of frustration or shame.
The Root of the Problem
There are several possible causes for PE, and it is possible that the causes for PE can be different from one man to another.
It’s psychological. Dr Ho says that strong emotions such as anxiety about his performance can cause a man to end things a little too soon in the bedroom. Other forms of stress such as external ones (from work and such) or unresolved interpersonal issues between the man and his partner could also be factors.
It is also possible that early sexual behaviour could contribute to PE. For example, if a man is used to hurrying his climax in the past, he may experience problems slowing down the pace later on.
It’s biological. PE can arise when things go awry in the body. Some of the possible biological reasons for PE include:
• Thyroid problems. There is a study which suggests that PE can be linked to an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism).
• Abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters (brain chemicals that transmit signals from nerve cells to brain). Unusually high levels of histamine, for example, can cause PE.
• Abnormal hormone levels. Like many other processes in our body, sexual arousal, stimulation and ejaculation are all carefully controlled and coordinated by interactions among various hormones. A little too much or too little here and there can cause the entire process to go haywire!
