What Causes Early Ejaculation? The Biological, Psychological and Lifestyle Factors Behind EE
Early Ejaculation (EE), also called Premature Ejaculation (PE) — though I'm personally more inclined towards the less judgemental EE — occurs when ejaculation takes place earlier than the penis owner in question expects. Estimates vary, but most research suggests it affects somewhere between 3 in 10 men so it is a topic worth exploring.
There are a number of phases in the sexual response cycle that end in ejaculation, one of which is the excitement phase, when things start to get steamy and hot under the collar, and arousal begins affecting your emotional, physiological and physical response. Excitement is followed by the plateau, the point where arousal is elevated and sustained, where the steam is possibly bursting at the seams and any clothes with collars to be hot under are long gone and heaped in a pile on the floor. This is the moment the whole body has been waiting for, and it is often the longest stage.
Like in a typical "save the world from the Martians" action film, every team is busy getting their systems ready, yelling one after the other "ready" until the final "all systems go". It is at this point that the excited penis owner reaches what is aptly called "ejaculatory inevitability". One does not need to be a medical professional to understand that this is the point of no return.
The general in charge of saving the world has pressed the red button, and the rocket is travelling through the missile canister or, more simply, the semen payload starts travelling through the urethra in preparation for ejaculation.
While the excitement and plateau stages can still be controlled in part, allowing for a prolonged and enjoyable sexual encounter, early ejaculation occurs when the period between the excitement stage and the point of no return is shortened, making the plateau phase almost non-existent. This can be a cause of anxiety for men and penis owners, reducing the pleasure of the experience and eroding confidence — both of which can, in turn, cause more anxiety ahead of the next sexy encounter. Consequently, this can contribute to a vicious circle that adds stress to what is meant to be an enjoyable, intimate, bonding experience.
So what can trigger EE? While early ejaculation is the physical manifestation of an early point of no return, the reasons behind it often are not physical at all, and instead, fall more into the psychological and emotional sphere of influence.
There are three areas of focus when it comes to what can contribute to early ejaculation. They can be assessed individually, yet in some cases they are closely linked.
Biological/physical
Low levels of neurotransmitters, and in particular of serotonin, known colloquially as the "happiness hormone". Low levels can be caused by a number of things, for example vitamin B or D deficiency (both of which aid its production), or a gut imbalance.
A hypersensitive penis, especially at the tip. The glans is highly innervated and can, at times, go into overdrive quite quickly.
Hormonal imbalances, particularly those related to the thyroid.
Prostate inflammation or infection (prostatitis). This can itself be caused by a number of factors, such as bacterial infection, dehydration, trauma and age.
Genetic predisposition, meaning it might run in the family — though the science on this one is still on the fence.
Psychological
Performance anxiety, the reasons for which are varied and complex, and would benefit from a chat with a therapist.
Stress, anxiety and depression. These mental struggles also affect the production of the neurotransmitters that support penile function, such as serotonin (see above) — which goes to show that reducing EE to a single cause isn't always possible.
Being caught by a parent as a horny teenager with a hand down your trousers, bashing the bishop, might cause guilt or introduce a subconscious pattern of masturbating in a hurry to finish. Early exploration of one's own body and sexuality can be stalled as a consequence.
Relationship problems also affect how the penis responds during a sexual encounter, particularly where there's a lack of — or difficult — communication with a partner.
Unrealistic expectations about "normal" sexual duration. I squarely blame porn and social media for this, along with a lack of proper sex education. Porn is to real sex what the Star Trek teleporter is to the delayed 5:45 from Waterloo Station. Be real!
Lifestyle/other
Infrequency of sexual activity. It's true: the more you practise a skill, the better you become at it, and the better you feel about yourself too. It works for a basketball jump shot, and it works for sex.
Excessive alcohol use, certain recreational drugs, poor overall health, obesity. Your entire body — and therefore your penis, 'cause last time I checked it was attached to the rest of you — is affected by what you eat, drink, ingest, snort or inhale, and by how much and how often you do it. While I personally steer away from declaring our body our temple, I do firmly believe we shouldn't treat it like a bag of rubbish and then expect it to perform normally. A single fun night out will impact your sexual response — maybe only a little at first, if you're young and healthy. But the return to baseline will slow over time if the behaviour continues, and sooner or later the body will stop performing — and with it, your dick.
In my next article, I'll break these causes down further and give you tips on how to slow down… your tip. Stay tuned.
Reference and resources
Cleveland Clinic — Premature Ejaculation: Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15627-premature-ejaculation
Mayo Clinic — Premature Ejaculation: Symptoms & Causes: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/premature-ejaculation/symptoms-causes/syc-20354900
Urology Care Foundation (American Urological Association) — Premature Ejaculation: Causes & Treatment: https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/p/premature-ejaculation
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