HOW TO STOP PREMATURE EJACULATION

Premature ejaculation affects lots of guys,and it obviously can be pretty annoying.

So in this article, I'm going to focus on five different strategies that you can try if you want to stop coming early. Stick around to find out more.

So how common do you think premature ejaculation actually is? Well, statistics would suggest that up to one in three men have experienced it at some time. I think back to when I was at high school and "American Pie" hit the cinemas. Now if you've seen it, you'll know which scene I'm referring to. Of course, when Jim and Nadia hook up for the first time, and he loses it, literally, twice. Great movie.

Well, it might be funny on the screen, but in real life it's really no laughing matter and for some guys it's not just once or twice, it's every single time they have sex. So here are five strategies or interventions that are proven to help if you suffer from premature ejaculation.

1. Orgasm more than once.

Well, obviously, it didn't work for Jim, but typically after the first or even second orgasm, it takes longer to achieve subsequent orgasms. Now, it might be difficult if you're working all day but some guys find that wanking in the afternoon might mean they can last longer later in the night.

2. Employ a technique like start/stop. Now, this can take some practice and it may not work very well if you haven't had an orgasm for a while or if you're particularly horny. But the idea is that as you feel yourself getting to the point of no return with the orgasm, you stop. So the stop/start technique is a really good one for couples. I've had a lot of patients report they have good success after they recognize when they need to stop and how long to wait before they restart.

3. Reduce the sensitivity of the skin on the penis. There are a couple of ways to do this. One way is just to wear a condom. Some guys will even try wearing two condoms, although this is not a good idea if you're using condoms for contraception because wearing two means it's more likely to break. Condoms can reduce the sensitivity from sex which might help you last longer. Alternatively, there are anesthetic creams. One in particular is known as EMLA, contains a mild anesthetic. As health professionals, we actually use it all the time, not for premature ejaculation. But, for example, if we need to take blood from a child and we want to numb their skin, we'll put EMLA on their skin before we insert the needle. Now to get EMLA cream, you might need a doctor's prescription. It often will last you for a while because you only need a small amount of the cream to be applied on the head of the penis for around 20 to 30 minutes before having sex to achieve a numbing effect.

4. Try a medication that will help prevent premature ejaculation. Yes, you will need to see a doctor for this one. And interestingly, the medication we most frequently prescribe for premature ejaculation is the same medication we use to treat anxiety and depression. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are a particular class of drug that affect levels of a chemical called serotonin. This is a neurotransmitter. In other words, it's a chemical messenger used by nerve cells to communicate with each other. One of the common side effect of the SSRIs is that it can affect a person's ability to achieve orgasm which in the case of premature ejaculation is kind of convenient.

5. By no means least, psychotherapy. I'm not saying that premature ejaculation means there's something wrong with you, but it's also not something to be dismissed as insignificant. I've had a lot of men who is struggling with this for years, some of them to the point that they're actually scared to even engage in any intimacy because they're so self-conscious of ejaculating early. This can affect mental health and self-esteem. So if all else fails and you've tried everything else, please reach out and talk to someone. There is a number of trained therapists who can help you in lots of different ways.

Stay healthy and have a good time.