Premature or rapid ejaculation is a common sexual problem that occurs when a man loses control of his desires and releases too quickly either during foreplay or intercourse.

Causes:

The cause of premature ejaculation is primarily biological and occurs to most men at least once in their lives. The average male physical response to ejaculate is between two and three minutes after vaginal penetrating whereas the average female physical response to climax is between 12 and 14 minutes. Premature ejaculation may also be caused or aggravated by psychological factors such as guilt, fear, performance anxiety and interpersonal issues affecting a given couple.

Many women, however, do not orgasm at all, particularly if intercourse involves penile penetration exclusively. It is more common for women to need other methods of sexual stimulation in order to orgasm. It is estimated that approximately 10% of women do not experience orgasm under any type of stimulation.

Premature ejaculation is the most frequently encountered sexual male problem, usually affecting adolescents, young adults and other sexually inexperienced males. Increased risk is associated with lack of sexual experience or knowledge regarding normal male and female sexual responses, and with individuals who associate psychological factors with sexual activity.

Treatment:

If premature ejaculation occurs during more than 50% of sexual encounters, it is critical that it be addressed with a health care provider who the person or couple can openly discuss sexual behaviors and concerns. Sometimes, treatment simply involves the provider giving helpful advice on the subject and providing special techniques that can help the male to delay ejaculation. The two most popular techniques include:

- The "stop and start" method: This technique involves sexual stimulation until the male recognizes he is close to orgasm, upon which the stimulation is removed for about 30 seconds and then resumed. The sequence is repeated until ejaculation is desired

- The "squeeze" method. This technique again involves sexual stimulation until the man recognizes that he is close to orgasm, upon which the male or his partner gently squeezes the end of the penis for several seconds, while pausing sexual stimulation for about 30 seconds, and then resuming it gradually. The sequence is repeated until ejaculation is desired.

In about 95% of cases, the male is able to control ejaculation control through knowledge and practice of the simple techniques outlined. If major interpersonal or psychological factors persist, professional counseling or psychotherapy may be necessary.