men s health issues
Premature Ejaculation
Treatment of Premature Ejaculation
Behavior modification therapy Behavior modification therapy can help most men overcome premature ejaculation. A therapist provides reassurance, explains why premature ejaculation occurs, and teaches the man strategies for delaying ejaculation. Other methods that can help a man delay ejaculation include drug treatment (with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, such asfluoxetine,paroxetine, orsertralineor with a tricyclic antidepressant such asclomipramine). Local treatments, which tend to decrease sensation, such as application of an anesthetic to the penis and use of condoms may help men delay ejaculation. Sometimes a combination of drug treatment and behavior modification therapy may be needed. When premature ejaculation is caused by more serious psychologic problems, psychologic therapy may help. Two techniques are commonly used to treat premature ejaculation. They also help reduce the anxiety that often aggravates the problem. Each technique trains the man to experience high levels of excitement without ejaculating. Both involve self-stimulation of the penis (while masturbating) or stimulation by a partner until the man feels that he will soon ejaculate. When done with a partner, stimulation is at first by hand and later before or during intercourse. In thestop-and-start technique,stimulation is stopped. With thesqueeze technique,the man or his partner squeezes for 10 to 20 seconds the part of the penis where the head (glans) meets the shaft, preventing ejaculation and decreasing the strength of the erection. In both techniques, stimulation can resume after about 30 seconds. With practice, more than 95% of men learn to delay ejaculation for 5 to 10 minutes or even longer. 