Retarded ejaculation
What is retarded ejaculation?
It’s normal for sexual response to change with age. The older a man gets, often, the more stimulation he needs to get an erection and ejaculate (‘come’), and the more time he needs between erections before he can have sex again.
As the name suggests, retarded ejaculation, also called delayed ejaculation, is a condition in which a man can get an erection, but he can’t ejaculate easily, so it takes an abnormally long time for him to climax.
Retarded ejaculation is a rare condition, and shouldn’t be confused with normal sexual response due to ageing. If you’re concerned about your sexual response, ask your doctor for further advice.
What causes retarded ejaculation?
Retarded ejaculation can be triggered by anxiety about ‘coming’ in your partner’s presence, or fear of penetrating your partner, but sometimes there are physical causes.
For example, men with diabetes may find that they take longer to ejaculate than men without diabetes, and certain medicines can delay ejaculation. These include some kinds of antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), some types of blood pressure medicines, and medicines such as thioridazine, used to help treat schizophrenia. Other causes include spinal injury, surgery affecting pelvic nerves and the use of some recreational drugs, particularly alcohol.
What treatments are available?
If you think that a medicine you are taking is the cause of retarded ejaculation, tell your doctor, who may be able to recommend a different treatment that avoids this unwanted side effect.
Often, the treatment for retarded ejaculation involves behavioural therapy, so your doctor may recommend treatment by a counsellor or psychotherapist.
The therapist may teach you techniques to help minimise anxiety about ejaculating and teach you some tips to help with timing, as well as offering advice to you and your partner to help improve your sex life.
Last Reviewed: 02 December 2009
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