Various factors can increase your risk of premature ejaculation, including:
* Impotence. You may be at increased risk of premature ejaculation if you occasionally or consistently have trouble getting or maintaining an erection. Fear of losing your erection may cause you to rush through sexual encounters. As many as one in three men with premature ejaculation also have trouble maintaining an erection.
* Health problems. If you have a medical concern that causes you to feel anxious during sex, such as a heart problem, you may have an increased likelihood of hurrying to ejaculate.
* Stress. Emotional or mental strain in any area of your life can play a role in premature ejaculation, often limiting your ability to relax and focus during sexual encounters.
* Certain medications. Rarely, drugs that influence the action of chemical messengers in the brain (psychotropics) may cause premature ejaculation.
When to seek medical advice
Talk with your doctor if you ejaculate sooner than you and your partner wish during most sexual encounters. Although you may feel you should be able to fix the problem on your own, you may need treatment to help you achieve and sustain a satisfying sex life.
Tests and diagnosis
Doctors diagnose premature ejaculation based on a detailed interview about your sexual history. Your doctor may ask a number of very personal questions and may want to include your partner in the interview. While it may be uncomfortable for both of you to talk frankly about sex, the details you provide will help your doctor determine the cause of your problem and the best course of treatment. A mental health professional may help make the diagnosis.
Your doctor will want to know about your health history, and may perform a general physical exam. You doctor may ask you questions about:
* How often you have premature ejaculation
* Whether you have premature ejaculation only with a specific partner or partners
* Whether you have premature ejaculation every time you have sex
* How often you have sex
* How you feel premature ejaculation affects your enjoyment of sex and your quality of life
* Whether you also have trouble getting and maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction)
* Your use of prescription medications and recreational drugs
To evaluate whether psychological factors may influence your premature ejaculation, your doctor or mental health professional may also want to know about:
* Your religious upbringing
* Your early sexual experiences
* Your sexual relationships, past and present
* Any conflicts or concerns within your current relationship
If you have both premature ejaculation and trouble getting or maintaining an erection, your doctor may order blood tests to check your male hormone (testosterone) levels or other tests.
|