{"id":1019,"date":"2013-11-11T20:36:10","date_gmt":"2013-11-11T20:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/?p=1019"},"modified":"2013-11-01T20:58:23","modified_gmt":"2013-11-01T20:58:23","slug":"the-basics-of-premature-ejaculation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/2013\/11\/11\/the-basics-of-premature-ejaculation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Basics of Premature Ejaculation"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is part of a series of guest posts on GPS by the graduate students in my\u00a0Psychopathology<\/a>\u00a0course. As part of their work for the course, each student had to demonstrate mastery of the skill of “Educating the Public about Mental Health.” To that end, each student has to prepare three 1,000ish word posts on a particular class of mental disorders, with one of those focusing on changes made from the DSM-IV to the DSM-5.<\/em><\/p>\n

______________________________________________<\/p>\n

The Basics of Premature Ejaculation\u00a0<\/em>by Ann O. Nonymous<\/strong><\/p>\n

Premature ejaculation<\/a> is a type of sexual dysfunction.\u00a0 It is the frequent or repeated discharge of semen before, shortly after, or upon penetration.\u00a0 Premature ejaculation typically occurs with minimal stimulation, before the male wishes, and earlier than he expected.\u00a0 This dysfunction occurs when a male achieves an orgasm.\u00a0 It has been referred to as early ejaculation, rapid ejaculation, rapid climax, premature climax, and ejaculation praecox.\u00a0 There is not a clear definition for \u201cpremature<\/a>,\u201d but specialists at the International Society for Sexual Medicine<\/a> supported a definition which stated, \u201cejaculation which always or nearly always occurs prior to or within one minute.\u201d\u00a0 To understand premature ejaculation, one must have a good understanding of the typical ejaculation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A typical ejaculation<\/a> is the release of semen from the male reproduction system and usually occurs concurrently with an orgasm.\u00a0 The male orgasm includes stimulation, ejaculation and orgasm.\u00a0 There are two stages<\/a> in the male ejaculation process.\u00a0 In the first stage, the genital tract contracts, and the prostate gland forces fluid into the upper region of the urethra.\u00a0 The fluid combines with fluid from the seminal ducts and seminal vesicles.\u00a0 During the orgasmic phase, the fluid from the prostate is constantly combined with the seminal fluid by the recurrent contractions of the prostate gland.\u00a0 At the beginning of ejaculation, the sphincter at the opening of the bladder closes, hindering the flow of seminal fluid from entering the bladder.\u00a0 Due to the closing of the sphincter, urine is also restricted from leaving the bladder and merging with the seminal fluid.\u00a0 The second stage of ejaculation involves the loosening of the urethral sphincter below the prostate to allow seminal fluid to enter into the urethral bulb and penile urethra.\u00a0 The muscles between the perineal region force the fluid down the penile urethra.\u00a0 A male\u2019s body is only able to achieve a second orgasm after a waiting period, dependent on the specific male.\u00a0 Although this is a typical example of ejaculation, some men suffer from premature ejaculation.<\/p>\n

Premature ejaculation is a widespread complaint in males.\u00a0 The specific cause<\/a> of premature ejaculation is not known, but research suggests that the cause is a complicated interaction of psychological and biological factors.\u00a0 Evidence suggests that the ability to control and modulate sexual excitement is a learned behavior.\u00a0 If someone has learned to control or modulate sexual excitement incorrectly or inadequately, then he may be able to relearn how to control or modulate it.\u00a0 In some instances, a male may have established a pattern for ejaculation that will make it more difficult to change later in life, such as rushing to reach climax in hopes of not being discovered by others or feelings of guilt resulting in a rush to reach climax.\u00a0 Premature ejaculation is seldom a result of a physical or structural issue. Psychological problems can be a main cause of premature ejaculation.<\/p>\n

Erectile dysfunction, anxiety, and relational problems are psychological factors<\/a> that can play a part in premature ejaculation.\u00a0 Erectile dysfunction is a diagnosis for a male who is anxious about acquiring or preserving an erection, therefore, the male may form the pattern of rushing to ejaculate.\u00a0 Anxiety in a male can cause premature ejaculation in that the male has anxiety concerning performance or other related problems.\u00a0 Relational problems can also cause premature ejaculation.\u00a0 When a male has not had issues with premature ejaculation in the past with other sexual partners, then there is a high probability that interpersonal problems between the male and his current partner are playing a part in the dysfunction.\u00a0 There are also biological problems associated with premature ejaculation.<\/p>\n

Biological factors<\/a> influencing premature ejaculation include the following: unusual hormone levels, unusual levels of brain chemicals, unusual reflex activity of the ejaculation system, specific thyroid problems, inflammation or infection of the prostate or urethra, and inherited traits.\u00a0 The connection to neurological conditions, infections, and inflammation of the duct responsible for transporting urine and semen is rare in premature ejaculation.\u00a0 The cause of premature ejaculation is also rare in a male withdrawing from certain medication used to treat mental health problems, however, there has been an increasing number of diagnosis related to this cause.\u00a0 Also in rare cases, premature ejaculation is connected to physical symptoms, such as pain.\u00a0 Premature ejaculation may be a lifelong situation or may emerge later in life.<\/p>\n

Symptoms<\/a> with lifelong and acquired premature ejaculation are different. With lifelong premature ejaculation, a male has dealt with this dysfunction since his initial sexual experience.\u00a0 A male may experience psychological difficulties and intense anxiety about sexual experiences relating back to a traumatic experience in childhood.\u00a0 On the other hand, a male with acquired premature ejaculation has previously experienced successful sexual experiences with partners, but now has problems with premature ejaculation.\u00a0 A male may experience erectile dysfunction, performance anxiety, and psychotropic drug use with acquired premature ejaculation. Due to the variety of reasons possible for premature ejaculation, an in-depth assessment and tests are necessary for diagnosis.<\/p>\n

In order to diagnosis<\/a> premature ejaculation, a physician will typically inquire about the patient’s sex life.\u00a0 The physician will be interested in a health history and may conduct a physical exam.\u00a0 Typically, there are no abnormal physical or lab findings<\/a> in this dysfunction.\u00a0 Most relevant information is provided through interviews with the male and his partner.\u00a0 Referrals to urologists who specialize in sexual dysfunctions or to mental health professionals are common in assisting in the process of making an official diagnosis.\u00a0 Blood tests may also be completed to assess male hormone levels and other biological areas that may affect ejaculation.\u00a0 After a diagnosis has been made, treatment for the dysfunction is the next step.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Treatment<\/a> for premature ejaculation include sexual therapy, medications, and psychotherapy.\u00a0 Sexual therapy may involve having the male masturbate an hour or two prior to intercourse in order to delay ejaculation during sex or encouraging the male to avoid having sex and focus on other types of sexual play.\u00a0 Another technique in sexual therapy is the squeeze technique<\/a>.\u00a0 This technique involves four steps and may be repeated as many times as needed.\u00a0 Medication may also be used, such as antidepressants and topical anesthetic creams.\u00a0 Antidepressants have a side effect of delayed orgasm, which may help premature ejaculation.\u00a0 Topical anesthetic creams decrease the sensation on the penis to help delay ejaculation.\u00a0 Psychotherapy is another option for treatment.\u00a0 Cognitive behavior therapy includes discussing relationships and experiences with a mental health provider.\u00a0 The sessions may help decrease performance anxiety and discover effective ways of coping with stress and resolving problems.\u00a0 With treatment, the prognosis is good.<\/p>\n

In most instances, a male is able to learn to control ejaculation through education and implementing techniques taught to help premature ejaculation.\u00a0 In some instances, a 95% success rate<\/a> in treating premature ejaculation has been documented.\u00a0 In situations where the dysfunction does not benefit from education and techniques, premature ejaculation may be connected to severe psychological or psychiatric conditions.\u00a0 In these cases, a male may benefit more from psychotherapy.\u00a0 That being said, all cases of premature ejaculation have options for treatment, whether the options are simple techniques or in-depth therapy with a mental health professional.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In which one of my students gives an overview of one of the more common sexual dysfunctions, premature ejaculation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100,104,29,12,52],"tags":[347,274,348,346,345,194],"class_list":["post-1019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-medicine","category-mental-health","category-psychology","category-teaching","tag-causes","tag-dsm-5","tag-etiology","tag-prematu","tag-symptoms","tag-treatment"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/gps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}