Premature ejaculation
What causes ejaculation problems?

Ejaculation problems are complex and can be caused by a number of things, including:

Stress
Relationship problems
Anxiety ? such as a man being anxious that he will lose his erection (erectile dysfunction), causing him to ?rush? the intercourse
Previous traumatic sexual experiences
Depression
Some medical conditions or medicines ? for example, diabetes can cause delayed ejaculation

Some researchers think certain men are more prone to premature ejaculation because of their biological make-up, such as having an unusually sensitive penis.

Retrograde ejaculation is caused by damage to nerves or muscles that surround the neck of the bladder (the point where the urethra connects to the bladder). This damage can often occur as a complication of prostate or bladder surgery.

Premature ejaculation is the most common ejaculation problem. It is where the male ejaculates too quickly during sexual intercourse.

Many men are unsure about how long ?normal? sex should last before ejaculation. A study looking at 500 couples from five different countries found the average time between a man putting his penis into his partner?s vagina and ejaculation was around five-and-a-half minutes.

However, it's up to the individual and his partner to decide whether or not they're happy with the time it takes for him to ejaculate. There is no definition of how long intercourse should last.

Occasional episodes of premature ejaculation are common and not a cause for concern. However, if you're finding that around half of your attempts to have intercourse result in premature ejaculation, it might help to get treatment.

Most men with this problem won't have always had it ? they'll have previously ejaculated normally. This may be referred to as 'secondary' premature ejaculation.

It's less common for the man to have always experienced premature ejaculation (since becoming sexually active) ? this is known as 'primary' or lifelong premature ejaculation. It affects around one in 50 men in England. In most cases of lifelong premature ejaculation:

There is an inability to delay ejaculation during sex every time or most times
The condition causes feelings of shame or frustration and impacts on quality of life, causing the man to avoid sexual intimacy

Delayed ejaculation

Delayed ejaculation (male orgasmic disorder) is classed as either:

Experiencing a significant delay before ejaculation is possible
Being unable to ejaculate at all even though the male wants to and his erection is normal

There is no set definition to describe ?how long is too long?, but a persistent (and unwanted) delay of ejaculation that lasts for 30 to 60 minutes may suggest delayed ejaculation.

Alternatively, if you are unable to achieve ejaculation at least half the times you have sex, you may have delayed ejaculation.

As with premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation can be either acquired or lifelong. Lifelong delayed ejaculation is less common and affects an estimated one in 1,000 men.

Delayed ejaculation can occur in all sexual situations, or just in certain situations ? for example, you may be able to ejaculate normally when masturbating, but not during sex. When delayed ejaculation only happens in certain situations, there's usually a psychological cause.