Is Premature Ejaculation Permanent?

Premature ejaculation (PE) is when you ejaculate (come) too quickly during sex, and it’s normally temporary. When you start having PE more often, there may be a health problem, medication or lifestyle habit that’s causing it.

Premature ejaculation can affect your sex life, but the good news is that there are ways to treat the causes so you can enjoy sex again.

You should also consider if you might have erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction occurs when you have trouble getting or keeping an erection.

You will usually lose your erection once you have ejaculated. So if you have erectile dysfunction, this can have a knock on effect on how you ejaculate. In this case, you should treat the cause of the erectile dysfunction first.

Speaking to a doctor will help you figure out whether you have premature ejaculation or erectile dysfunction. So once you know the problem, you can find a treatment faster and work towards a cure.

The causes of premature ejaculation include:

• feeling tired or stressed
• mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety
• lacking confidence when you have sex
• history of negative sexual experiences
• older age
• medication
• having a sensitive penis
• thyroid or prostate problems
• damage to the nerves or blood vessels in your penis
• medical conditions, such as diabetes
• smoking
• drinking alcohol
• lack of exercise
• relationship problems

It’s worth exploring if any of these causes of premature ejaculation apply to you. Then, finding a solution to these causes, or making lifestyle changes, can help you stop premature ejaculation in the long term.

You can help premature ejaculation with medical treatments such as EMLA cream or Priligy tablets.

EMLA cream is a premature ejaculation treatment that contains 2 local anaesthetics, lidocaine and prilocaine. They work by numbing the skin to reduce the sensitivity of your penis and slow down how quickly you ejaculate.

Priligy tablets contain the active ingredient dapoxetine, which is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). As a result, Priligy helps to give you more control over your ejaculation and prevents you from coming too soon.

You can also try non-medical treatments to help with premature ejaculation, such as:

• couples therapy, where you may explore relationship issues that affect sex
• taking breaks during sex
• using a thicker condom to reduce sensitivity on your penis
• exercising regularly
• quitting smoking
• cutting down on how much alcohol you drink
• masturbating before sex
• getting treatment for any mental health conditions
• personal therapy to help with anxiety or stress
• getting enough rest and sleeping earlier at a regular time each day

A doctor can help guide you and find the right treatment to treat your premature ejaculation. However, remember you may need to try different methods before you find something that works.