Are you dealing with premature ejaculation? Well, you are not alone.
Around 37% of men experience premature ejaculation at some point in their life [1]. Premature ejaculation or PE is a sexual dysfunction that can affect a man's ability to enjoy sex, especially if it's persistent or severe. Some men even end up avoiding sex altogether.
However, with recent advancements in technology and the medical sector, there are different ways to prevent or treat premature ejaculation and regain your sex life again.
For some, wearing a condom can help delay ejaculation, which reduces sensitivity in the penis. However, others may need clinical treatments. We shall discuss all these options in detail later in the article.
So if you are experiencing premature ejaculation, stick around. We might be able to help. First, let's understand what premature ejaculation really is.
What is premature ejaculation?
Premature ejaculation is a common medical condition that is characterised by the following:
- Inability to delay climax
- Ejaculating within one minute during sex
- Stress and avoidance of intimacy as a result
According to the International Society of Sexual Medicine, the average time it takes a man to ejaculate is between 5 and 7 minutes.
There is no set time of how long sex should last for two people to enjoy, but if you ejaculate sooner than you and your partner would like, then this can be a problem.
Premature ejaculation can be embarrassing and frustrating and oftentimes, it not only affects your sex life but your relationship as well. It's understandable if you feel awkward speaking about PE but there's no shame in it — it's something that so many men deal with throughout their lives.
And, it's treatable! In fact, you can seek treatment from Pilot's practitioners online and have treatments delivered to your home discreetly.
Simply complete Pilot's online assessment and our Australian practitioners will create a personalised premature ejaculation treatment plan for you.
All of the consultations with our practitioners are online so you don't have to worry about any face-to-face conversations with your doctor, should that be a cause of concern.
How is premature ejaculation diagnosed?
While PE can be easy to self-diagnose, reaching out to Pilot and completing our online assessment means that one of our local practitioners will be able to formally diagnose the issue and create a tailor-made treatment plan for your physical issue.
The online consultation includes a number of questions related to your sexual activity and this will help inform our doctors on the best way to tackle the issue.
What causes premature ejaculation?
It's common for younger men to experience premature ejaculation, especially if they are still learning about relationships and sex.
In the past, premature ejaculation was mainly thought to be entirely psychological.
However, evidence shows that some men, especially those with lifelong premature ejaculation, have a chemical imbalance in the brain that controls this function. They call it a neurobiological cause, which may also affect a man psychologically [2].
Other psychological factors that influence PE include:
- Depression
- Fear of rejection by a partner
- Negative sexual experiences during childhood
- Issues in the relationship
- Low self-esteem
- Early sexual activity
- Performance anxiety
- Feelings of guilt that increase your tendency to rush sexual pleasure
Biological factors include:
- Erectile dysfunction — men with issues maintaining an erection during sexual intimacy may form a pattern of rushing to ejaculate [3]
- Abnormal hormonal levels
- Inflammation or infection of the urethra or prostate [4]
- Inherited traits
- Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters
- Prostate enlargement or stones
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism — an overactive thyroid condition [5]
Premature ejaculation and condoms: What's the link?
Using condoms during sexual intercourse offers protection against sexually transmitted diseases, lowers the risk of unwanted pregnancies and for some, can help with premature ejaculation.
Although there hasn't been a tonne of research on the effectiveness of condoms delaying ejaculation, there is enough evidence that suggests that wearing a condom may reduce penis sensitivity and in turn, help you delay premature ejaculation.
The tip of your penis is usually the most sensitive part, followed by the frenulum, the small elastic area of tissue that connects the tip of your penis with the foreskin.
During intercourse, the nerves in the glands are stimulated, and when you reach sexual climax, you ejaculate. Wearing a condom that covers these areas helps reduce the sensitivity during penetrative sex and potentially delays ejaculation.
The Journal of Sexual Medicine did a study to test this theory. The researcher's aim was to test the penile sensitivity level of men who wore a condom and those without.
The researchers discovered that the man's penile vibrotactile sensitivity thresholds are the level of vibration needed for men to feel the sensation. And, the penile vibratory sensation is higher when a man is wearing a condom, reducing sensitivity and delaying ejaculation.
So yes, condoms can help reduce premature ejaculation. While it doesn't treat the issue, it might be something you want to try in the short term.
Does using two condoms help delay ejaculation?
So we know that condoms can help delay ejaculation, so how would two condoms work for dulling the sensation during sex?
Well, while it might sound promising, it's not recommended as the chance of the condom breaking during sexual intercourse is incredibly high due to increased friction and weakening of the material [6].
And if you're relying on the condom as your method of contraception, it's pretty risky.
Rather than using two condoms, opt for an extra thick condom or extended pleasure condoms — more on these below.
Can premature ejaculation be prevented or avoided?
Besides seeking medical treatment for PE, you can try condoms as a form of prevention. And, there are a bunch of different condoms created to help you delay ejaculation and enjoy reaching orgasm with your partner.
Extended pleasure condoms
Climax control, endurance or extended pleasure condoms are coated with a desensitising solution on the inside.
The active ingredient is a numbing lubricant made from benzocaine — a liquid that gently numbs your penis, helping to desensitise it.
The goal here is to reduce sensitivity, which can help slow down ejaculation.
Delay condoms
Another type of condom you might want to try is delay condoms, which, as the name might suggest, are designed to help delay ejaculation.
These extra-strength condoms are designed with a wall of thickness, which also helps to reduce sensitivity in the penis.
If you're not sure about these condoms, we suggest trying them out on your own first so you can see if they work for you, before using them with a partner.
Other ways to treat premature ejaculation
While condoms can be a handy way to manage PE in the short term, they aren't a great long-term treatment strategy.
Here are other ways of treating premature ejaculation:
Clinical treatments
Pilot's premature ejaculation treatments are backed by years of medical research and are trusted by real health professionals.
Simply take our online consult and our Aussie practitioner will create a treatment plan for you, which is delivered discreetly to your door.
Medical treatment for erectile dysfunction
If your premature ejaculation is linked to erectile dysfunction, you might want to figure out how to treat erectile dysfunction and see how your PE responds.
Pilot also offers personalised treatment plans for erectile dysfunction and 94% of men saw success with the treatment Pilot can provide.
And, just as with our PE treatment, our ED treatment is conducted over online consults and all treatments are delivered discreetly.
Behavioural techniques
Behavioural therapy can be helpful in delaying orgasms. This therapy aims to train your body and mind on how to control your sexual sensations. Some of these methods include;
- Stop-start technique — During this method, you stimulate your penis to the point of orgasm, then stop for a few seconds until you can control your feelings. It's recommended to try this 3 or 4 times before you climax. You can continue practising until you can control your orgasms and delay ejaculation.
- Kegel exercises — Practising Kegel exercises is another technique that may help delay ejaculating. Find your pelvic muscles and squeeze as if you are holding your pee. Do so for a few seconds and release. Repeat until your muscles feel tired. Try the exercise a couple of times a day. Once you learn to control your muscles, you may also regain control of your orgasms.
- Squeeze method [7] — Similar to the stop-start method, you stimulate yourself close to climaxing, then squeeze the shaft of your penis to lose your erection. Repeat the method a few more times before orgasm, and with time you will learn to control your ejaculations.
Masturbation
The idea behind masturbating before sex is to help reduce overstimulation. Since masturbation reduces sensitivity, it can help you enjoy sex for longer when you've already orgasmed beforehand.
Counselling
If the cause of your premature ejaculation is emotional, psychological, or stems from relationship issues, it can help to seek guidance from a counsellor.
This professional will be able to help you deal with the stress or anxiety that may be affecting your sex life and give you strategies on ways to treat the psychological aspect of premature ejaculation.