Premature Ejaculation Patient Information Leaflet

What is premature ejaculation?

Premature ejaculation is when you orgasm (or ‘come’) too soon. Sometimes it’s soon after (or even before) inserting your penis inside your partner
It is common but underreported
It usually means that you ejaculate within 3 minutes of entering your partner, with a feeling that you are unable to delay your orgasm
Sex may end up being frustrating or distressing to the point that you may avoid it
The issue may affect your relationship and your life
Some people suffer from emotional health issues as a result – it’s wise to seek for this if it’s getting to you

There is a new medication, a “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor” (SSRI) which has been developed specifically for the treatment of premature ejaculation
It’s not suitable for everyone
You take it 1 to 3 hours before sex
Approximately ⅓ of patients respond well
The more severe your symptoms (i.e. time to ejaculation less than 3 minutes), the more likely you are to respond well
Some patients find that their time to ejaculation is tripled by this treatment

Medicines used for erection problems (erectile dysfunction) may sometimes also be useful for premature ejaculation
If you don’t want to take tablets, creams and sprays are available which help to reduce the sensitivity of the penis
Other SSRIs may be used
- However, you need to take these every day and the effect takes at least 2 weeks to occur
- You may find the effectiveness of treatment starts to wear off after 6-12 months of regular use