Delayed ejaculation occurs when the male desires, but is not able to ejaculate either during foreplay or sexual intercourse. This is predominantly a psychological problem that affects a small percentage of men. Non-medical circumstances exist, such as painful stimulation of the penis, or disturbed emotional states such as fear, guilt, anger, shame or anxiety can cause a male to lose his erection or prevent him from getting one entirely. Emotional difficulties and the anticipation or worry about possibly losing an erection are common causes of men's erectile difficulties.

Causes:

There are many causes for why a man would be unable to climax. Some psychological factors include lack of sufficient sexual attraction, atypical masturbation patterns, religious backgrounds, or memory of traumatic events associated with sex. Some organic factors including consistent drug use like cocaine, alcohol or antidepressants or mood enhancers can also play a serious role in delaying ejaculation. Physical factors are least likely to be a cause, but exist nonetheless such as neurological diseases, phimosis and frenulum breve, where the foreskin of the penis cannot retract behind the tip of the glans.

Treatment:

Treatment for delayed ejaculation usually involves a sex therapist and understanding by the current partner. Psychological causes should be dealt with as soon as possible so as to avoid it becoming a permanent problem. Sexual intercourse is usually put on hold as the couple try to find other ways to stimulate and reach ejaculation. In some cases, hypnosis has been used to find the root of a person's emotional distress. Men on mood altering drugs should consider other types that have low risks of sexual side effects. Routine penile stretches can be useful for cases of phimosis, and extreme cases, such as frenulum breve, require surgery similar to circumcision to effectively treat.

The bottom line is that delayed ejaculation is a problem like any other that has relatively simple solutions. Avoiding it only enhances the condition and can lead to permanent disabilities. The most important thing to remember should one believe that they are experiencing delayed ejaculation is to speak to a medical advisor, such as a nurse, doctor or sex therapist.