What is Premature Ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation takes place when the duration of sexual intercourse cannot be controlled, and the repeated intercourse is slightly longer than the first one.

It was previously considered that premature ejaculation had a time interval of up to two minutes after insertion of the penis into the vagina. This is, however, not entirely correct, as the duration of intercourse depends on various conditions, such as the speed and the degree of both partners' stimulation. Premature ejaculation can happen during vaginal, oral, or anal sex, masturbation, and other forms of sexual activity. Nowadays, there are three types of premature ejaculation: mild — ejaculation happens within about 30 seconds to 1 minute after penetration; moderate — ejaculation happens about 15-30 seconds after penetration; severe — ejaculation happens before sexual intercourse, at the very beginning of sexual intercourse or within about 15 seconds after penetration.

Premature ejaculation may be a normal, common occurrence; e.g., the very first sexual intercourse, the first intercourse with a new partner, or due to a long-term lack of sex or masturbation. 

Premature ejaculation can be classified as both primary and secondary (acquired).

Primary premature ejaculation occurs immediately at first intercourse and can be related to innate pituitary dysfunction (e.g., pituitary adenoma), a short penile frenulum, or hypersensitivity of the penile head.

Secondary premature ejaculation develops after a period of normal intercourse and may be a symptom of some kind of illness. 

If you want to measure how much you or your partner is delaying ejaculation by reading this article, we advise you to use a stopwatch during your next intercourse.