20-30% of men have sometimes experienced an episode of premature ejaculation. The causes are usually psychological, but they can also be organic or biological.
Last update: February 18, 2022
Premature or premature ejaculation is considered to be the most frequent sexual dysfunction in men, according to data from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
According to data from the American Psychological Association, it affects 27% of men in the total population. But what are the triggers of premature ejaculation?
In this article we will talk about the possible psychological and organic causes. It is important to consider that in most cases, there is a strong anxiety that would make a "normal" ejaculation response more difficult.
What is premature ejaculation
Before discussing the causes of premature ejaculation, we will talk broadly about what this disorder implies. Premature ejaculation is defined in the DSM-5 as a persistent or recurrent model in which the ejaculation produced during the sexual activity of a couple it occurs approximately in the minute following vaginal penetration and before the person desires it.
Furthermore, this disorder also occurs in people who have sexual intercourse not associated with penetration. At this point it is not so much the minute of duration that matters, but the fact that ejaculation comes before the person desires it.
Causes of premature ejaculation
In relation to the causes of premature ejaculation, more frequently there is a learning of the faulty response (ejaculate prematurely) in sexual situations where there is no significant degree of anxiety.
Once you have learned this "wrong" response, it is difficult to control the reflex voluntarily, because the ejaculation response is controlled by the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system and therefore anxiety will facilitate the response.
On the other hand, in the etiology of this sexual disorder we also find another type of causes, such as medical causes. We see both types.
Psychological causes of premature ejaculation
Premature ejaculation is a problem in most cases it is related to anxiety. Anxiety is one of its main causes. Furthermore, on a psychological level, we find others:
- Early sexual experiences.
- Having experienced sexual abuse in childhood (or after).
- Suffering from depressive symptoms or depression.
- Problems with one's own physical image and complex.
- Worry about your own problem.
- High demands on sexual relations (autoesigenza).
- To exert pressure on oneself when "the moment is reached".
- Chronic stress and prolonged.
- Feelings of guilt that increase the tendency to hurry during sexual intercourse.
- Relationship problems.
Medical causes of premature ejaculation
Psychological causes (or even related to relationship problems) are not the only ones that can explain a case of premature ejaculation.
Other possible causes premature ejaculation, in this case medically and organically, they can be:
- Inflammation and infection of the urethra.
- Hereditary characters.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Erectile dysfunction.
- Abnormal hormone levels.
- Inflammation and infection of the prostate (prostatitis).
- Opiate withdrawal.
- Thyroid pathology.
Premature ejaculation: risk factors and prognosis
The risk factors and the prognosis of premature ejaculation concern aspects of three types: character, genetic and physiological:
- Characteristics: premature ejaculation is more common in anxious men, and especially in those with social anxiety disorder (social phobia).
- Genetics and physiologyGenetics also play a role in the development of this disorder. Related problems also appear, problems concerning dopamine and serotonin (genetic polymorphisms).
Epidemiology, course and comorbidities
Internationally, more than 20-30% of men between 18 and 70 years of age have sometimes reported episodes of premature ejaculation.
However, with the new DSM-5 definition (introducing the post-penetration minute specification), the disorder can only be diagnosed in 1-3% of men. On the other hand, it is a disorder that tends to increase with age.
As for its course and development, these can vary. Premature ejaculation can begin in the initial sexual experiences man and persist from that moment. But it is normal that after a few initial episodes you gain control over time.
Regarding comorbidity, the disorder may be associated with erection problems. Sometimes it is difficult to determine which problem arose before and which after.
Ejaculation has always been acquired
There are two types of premature ejaculation: present from the first sexual intercourse (which is the one that occurs from the first sexual intercourse of the boy, due to anxiety, but which can end over time, and usually it is) and acquired (which is normally acquired from a certain medical condition).
Compared to the first, this is associated with certain anxiety disorders. While the latter can be associated with diseases such as prostatitis, thyroid disease or drug withdrawal (for example from opiates).
Premature Ejaculation: Final Reflection
As we see, the causes of premature ejaculation can be very varied. However, psychological causes are among the most frequent (especially anxiety), because this response is physiologically incompatible with an erection (in fact it does not make us ejaculate).
Making a good diagnosis differential of each case and find the causes, be they medical, biological, relational or psychological, will be the first step to remedy the disorder and understand it. As always, asking for help from a professional can be a great tool in these cases.
