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It’s estimated that 30 percent of men between the ages of 18 and 60 will experience premature ejaculation (PE) at some point in their lives. Characterized by ejaculation which always (or nearly always) occurs prior to or within one minute of penetration, PE can have several causes. Often to blame are psychological factors such as stress, depression, relationship issues, or performance-related anxiety—though physical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, or prostate disease can also be the cause, says New York City-based sexual health specialist Michael Reitano.
In short, it’s not fun and can sometimes lead to the premature ejaculator avoiding sexual intimacy altogether. There are, however, a raft of relatively simple interventions that have proven effective in its treatment. Here are some of them.
Start living on the edge
Ever heard of “edging" in order to last longer during sex? It means building up to what’s called “ejaculatory inevitability”—the orgasmic point of no return—then standing down for a minute or so before restarting the action. If you have a penis, it’s likely that you already know what the point of no return feels like. If you’re the partner of someone with a penis, it’s the part when they start making that face.
“Ejaculatory inevitability refers to that point during the lead-up to ejaculation when contractions in the vas deferens and the prostate moves semen out of the tubes where it is usually stored and into the urethra,” Reitano says. “Once there, ejaculation follows as the rhythmic contractions of pelvic muscles—about every .8 seconds—release semen in waves from the penis.”
The key to becoming good at edging—and mastering control over when you orgasm in any situation—involves knowing what the moment just before that moment feels like. If you’re a penis owner, you can start this training regimen when you’re home alone with some time on your hands.