Symptoms of the disease  

In 2009, the International Society of Sexual Medicine (ISSM) published recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of premature ejaculation².

According to these recommendations, thepremature ejaculation has for symptoms:

• ejaculation always or almost always occurs before intravaginal penetration or within XNUMX minute of penetration
• there is an inability to delay ejaculation with every or almost every vaginal penetration
• this situation leads to negative consequences, such as distress, frustration, embarrassment and / or avoidance of sex.

According to the ISSM, there is not enough scientific data to extend this definition to non-heterosexual sex or sex without vaginal penetration.

Several studies show that among men with permanent premature ejaculation:

• 90% ejaculate in less than a minute (and 30 to 40% in less than 15 seconds),
• 10% ejaculate between one and three minutes after penetration.

Finally, according to the ISSM, 5% of these men ejaculate involuntarily even before penetration.

People at risk

The risk factors for premature ejaculation are not well known.

Unlike erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation does not increase with age. On the contrary, it tends to decrease with time and with experience. It is more common in young men and at the start of a relationship with a new partner. 

Risk factors

Several factors can promote premature ejaculation:

• anxiety (especially performance anxiety),
• having a new partner,
• weak sexual activity (infrequent),
• withdrawal or abuse of certain medications or drugs (in particular opiates, amphetamines, dopaminergic drugs, etc.),
• alcohol abuse.