All men know what it feels like to sometimes want sexual intercourse to last longer. But premature ejaculation (PE; also called early ejaculation, rapid ejaculation or ejaculation praecox) is much more than just feeling like you want to last longer from time to time. It's a very real condition with real impact on people's life. 
PE was recently defined by experts as being made up of three main aspects2-4:
- a short time (about 1 minute or less) from penetration to ejaculation (or ejaculation before penetration);
- feeling unable to control ejaculation
- unhappiness or difficulties caused by PE.
It's important to note that many men wish that they could sometimes 'last longer' during sexual intercourse even though they don't have PE. There is no such thing as a normal time to ejaculation because it varies so much between men and even varies for the same man with different partners, situations etc. Some studies have shown that the average time to ejaculation is around 7 minutes3, but if your time to ejaculation is usually well over 1 minute and is not causing you bother, you probably don't have PE. 
PE can take two forms. Men can have PE from the first time they have sexual intercourse (known as lifelong or primary PE), or it can develop later in a man's life after many years without problems (this is called acquired or secondary PE) 4.
Many men carry on with their lives hoping that their PE will get better with time. However, it is important to realise that PE is a treatable medical condition and that, by speaking to a doctor, you can potentially get access to a number of effective treatments.
PE is sometimes confused with erectile dysfunction (ED; impotence), a condition where the man cannot achieve or maintain an erection suitable for sexual intercourse. Men with PE ejaculate with a rigid erection while men with ED may lose their erection prior to ejaculation 5. Unlike ED, PE is not frequently associated with serious underlying medical conditions like heart disease or diabetes, although it is possible to have both PE and ED.
The main differences between PE and ED6,7
| Premature ejaculation (PE) | Erectile dysfunction (ED) |
|---|---|
| No problem getting an erection suitable for sexual intercourse | Difficulty in getting an erection suitable for sexual intercourse or in keeping the penis erect until the end of intercourse |
| Penis remains erect until ejaculation | Penis softens before ejaculation or before the end of sexual intercourse |
| Ejaculation occurs before the man wishes it, with low feelings of control over ejaculation, causing distress | Man may try to ejaculate quickly before he loses his erection |
| Common in men of all ages | More common in older men |
If you have any concerns about PE or ED, you should speak to your doctor, but make sure that you are clear about your symptoms so that they too can understand what might be the issue and how best to treat it.
- 2.
McMahon, C.G., et al., An Evidence-Based Definition of Lifelong Premature Ejaculation: Report of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) Ad Hoc Committee for the Definition of Premature Ejaculation. J Sex Med, 2008
- 3.
Patrick, D.L., et al., Premature ejaculation: an observational study of men and their partners. J Sex Med, 2005. 2(3): p. 358-67.
- 4.
Waldinger, M.D., Recent advances in the classification, neurobiology and treatment of premature ejaculation. Adv Psychosom Med, 2008. 29: p. 50-69.
- 5.
Jannini, E.A. and A. Lenzi, Ejaculatory disorders: epidemiology and current approaches to definition, classification and subtyping. World J Urol, 2005. 23(2): p. 68-75.
- 6.
Jannini, E.A., F. Lombardo, and A. Lenzi, Correlation between ejaculatory and erectile dysfunction. Int J Androl, 2005. 28 Suppl 2: p. 40-5.
- 7.
Rosenberg, M.T. and R. Sadovsky, Identification and diagnosis of premature ejaculation. Int J Clin Pract, 2007. 61(6): p. 903-8.