By
Raymond Ehoma
Of the two major commonly reported cases of male sexual
dysfunction, erectile dysfunction accounts for about 10% while premature
ejaculation is reported to account for some 80 percent. Some statistics
indicate that one in three men suffer from premature ejaculation indicating a prevalence rate of between 27 percent and 34 percent in men
of all ages.
According to The American Psychiatric Association, premature ejaculation is defined as the "persistent or recurrent ejaculation with minimum sexual stimulation before, on or shortly after penetration and before the person wishes it..." Simply stated, PE is a condition where a man frequently ejaculates earlier than he or his partner wishes to either before, on or shortly after copulating with his partner. Premature ejaculation is also known as rapid ejaculation.
Premature ejaculation causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty for a man and his partner as it allows neither partner to enjoy the sexual act in a proper manner. The man feels dissatisfaction because of the inability to hold out the pleasurable sensations of sexual contact for a longer period of time while his partner is equally dissatisfied for not being able to reach her sexual peak.
It is also common for men that are experiencing PE to question their masculinity and lose confidence in their sexual performance. They may feel misunderstood as to the extent of frustration and humiliation they regularly experience while a partner may suffer in silence for fear of upsetting their man further or become frustrated at their partner's seeming unwillingness to fix the problem.
However, many men occasionally experience premature ejaculation during sexual intercourse, but as long as it does not happen frequently, there is no cause for the man to worry. The time period that qualifies for PE has however become a highly debatable topic owing to the fact that men ejaculate at different times during different sexual encounters. Scientists and researchers now define premature ejaculation as a condition in which the man achieves orgasm in about 120 seconds or 2 minutes after vaginal penetration. Others specify the number of penile thrusts, considering less than 8 to 15 thrusts prior to ejaculation to be premature. With that said, if this should occur on a more regular basis, then he may be suffering from PE.
