Men With Premature Ejaculation May Have Repeat Sexual Intercourse Sessions to Cope

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common sexual issue in which a man cannot control when he ejaculates and often ejaculates sooner than desired, causing distress to him and/or his partner. This condition can negatively affect sexual satisfaction and self-esteem.

Some men with PE may engage in multiple sexual sessions in a short time, potentially to compensate for an unsatisfactory initial sexual encounter. However, it is not known if this behavior is more common among men with PE than it is among men without PE. If it is more common among men with PE, it begs another question: is it an effective coping strategy for the condition?

Assuming it is an effective coping strategy, it could be worthwhile for men with PE to masturbate before a sexual encounter. Still, it is unclear if men with PE would be open to this. Understanding their attitudes toward this possible coping mechanism is crucial to avoid negative effects like anxiety and erectile dysfunction (ED).

To answer these questions, a team of researchers designed a new study to explore the sexual behaviors of men with PE and those without, as well as their views on pre-coital masturbation.

The authors of the study recruited participants from a clinic, ensuring they met specific criteria: for PE patients, criteria included age ≥18, recent vaginal intercourse attempts, a Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) score ≥11, no alcohol or drug abuse affecting ejaculation, no ED, normal sexual desire, and being in a stable heterosexual relationship. Controls had similar criteria but with PEDT score ≤8 and no history of PE.

Ultimately, 182 individuals with PE and 92 controls were included in the study. After comprehensive interviews, physical exams, and questionnaire completion for all participants, statistical analyses were conducted to determine which differences between the two groups were statistically significant.

There were no significant age or education differences between the PE and control groups, but those without PE had a higher average body mass index (BMI) and a lower proportion of married individuals. All participants had engaged in recent sexual activity.

Individuals without PE reported attempting sexual encounters on more days in the past 4 weeks than those with PE, but a higher proportion of PE patients attempted multiple sexual sessions in a single day.

Among PE patients engaging in multiple sessions in one day, the ejaculation latency time of the second encounter was longer than that of the first encounter, and their satisfaction scores were higher. Even so, many PE patients (57.1%) shared that they were unwilling to try pre-coital masturbation to manage their symptoms, citing reasons like decreased sexual desire or concerns about their health.

In the end, this study revealed that young men with PE had lower sexual satisfaction compared to those without PE, and more PE patients engaged in multiple sexual sessions in a day. Curiously, PE patients performed better in their second session, lasting longer and feeling more in control of their ejaculation. This suggests that they might use multiple sessions to compensate for the first unsatisfying one.

The men in the PE group were more inclined to have multiple sessions in one day, but members of the control group reported sometimes having multiple sessions in a day as well. Nevertheless, PE patients had shorter breaks between the two sessions. Reasons given for not having multiple sessions included decreased desire, erection issues, and partner refusal.

The authors speculated that PE patients’ reluctance to try masturbating before sex to help with PE symptoms might be influenced by cultural beliefs and concerns about its impact on relationships. So, while some consider pre-coital masturbation as a solution to PE symptoms, many patients are not up for it.

For more information on this topic, please read these publications from the ISSM Journals: The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Sexual Medicine Reviews, and Sexual Medicine Open Access:

Management Options for Premature Ejaculation and Delayed Ejaculation in Men

Erectile Dysfunction in Young Men: Testosterone, Androgenic Polymorphisms, and Comorbidity With Premature Ejaculation Symptoms

References:

Wang, C., Colonnello, E., Sansone, A., Zhang, H., Jannini, E. A., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Repeated sexual intercourse as a coping strategy for men with premature ejaculation. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 21(5), 399–407. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdae040