What is rapid ejaculation, and how is it different from premature ejaculation? Premature ejaculation is characterized by sexual intercourse in which the man ejaculates before penetration or less than 1 to 1.5 minutes after vaginal penetration.
Since, however, many men complain and seek treatment for rapid ejaculation despite ejaculating at normal times, it has recently been proposed to classify men according to four categories:
- Primary premature ejaculation (the problem exists from the beginning of the man’s sexual life).
- Acquired premature ejaculation (the problem appeared in the course of sexual life).
- Normal fluctuating rapid ejaculation (the man may ejaculate faster e.g., after a long period of absence of sexual contact or under hurried conditions or at the beginning of relations, etc.).
- Ejaculation dysfunction resembling premature ejaculation (while the time for ejaculation is within normal limits, the man feels discomfort and restlessness).
In a new study (Gao, 2014) involving 4,000 volunteers, it was found that of those who had or thought they had premature or rapid ejaculation, 12.34% had primary premature ejaculation, 18.77% acquired, 44% normal fluctuating rapid ejaculation, and 24.81% premature ejaculation-like dysfunction.
It appeared, that is, that almost one in four men, while maintaining the function of ejaculation at normal levels, feels that he has a problem and is uncomfortable.
Which of the categories of rapid ejaculation causes the most discomfort? According to the study, men with rapid ejaculation (all types included) had overall worse erectile function and higher anxiety and depression symptoms compared to men who did not report an ejaculation problem.
However, comparing the four types of premature ejaculation with each other, the group of men with acquired premature ejaculation reported more erectile dysfunction, anxiety, and depression.
This study shows us that regardless of the objective time of ejaculation, many men worry and feel dissatisfied with their sexual function. In addition, anxiety, depression, and erectile problems are strongly associated with all types of premature ejaculation, but more so with the acquired type.
The important thing is, however, that erectile problems, anxiety, and depression play an important role in maintaining the ejaculation problem.
References:
Porst H, Kirana P (2013) Premature Ejaculation. In Kirana P, Tripodi F, Reisman Y, Porst H (Eds.), The EFS and ESSM Syllabus in Clinical Sexology. Medix.
Gao J, Zhang X, Su P et al. (2014) Prevalence and impact of premature ejaculation in outpatients complaining of ejaculating prematurely: using the instruments of intravaginal ejaculatory latency time and patient-reported outcome measures. Int J Impot Res 26:94-99.
