Premature ejaculation doctor shares truth about how long sex should really last
A GP who helps men overcome their lack of stamina in the bedroom has shared her thoughts on how long sex should really last.
Dr Philippa Kaye, who fans of This Morning will recognise as a regular contributor, has shared some interesting insights about lovemaking for lads to listen up to.
Sexual health is one of the medic and mother-of-three's areas of expertise and she regularly helps male patients overcome intimate issues, such as premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.
Dr Kaye, who works in both the NHS and private hospitals, explained these are some of the 'most common male sexual difficulties' she sees.
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While estimating that up to 30 percent of fellas are impacted by premature ejaculation at some point in their lives, she pointed out that accurate statistics aren't really available, because of the 'stigma' surrounding sexual subjects.
She explained that on the whole, it is really common for blokes to let rip a lot sooner than they had hoped, although some are inevitably too shy to admit it for the sake of research.
In the doctor's eyes, premature ejaculation can be defined by three things - 'ejaculation consistently occurring within about a minute of penetration; distress or relationship difficulties as a result; and avoidance of sexual intimacy because of it'.
Dr Kaye explained some men have never known any different, as some sort of speedy precedent was probably set during their very first sexual experiences.
"If someone learned to masturbate quickly as a teenager to avoid being caught by parents with an uncanny ability to knock at exactly the wrong moment, the body can become trained to rush towards ejaculation," she told the Daily Mail. "Strict attitudes to sex or certain beliefs around intimacy can also be a factor."
But blokes can also suddenly start experiencing early climax a lot later in life too, even if they've never had difficulties with going the distance beforehand.
"It is often linked to other issues: erectile dysfunction, prostate problems or mental health difficulties," Dr Kaye said. "The connection between erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation is important.
"Anxiety about losing an erection can create an unconscious sense of urgency – a ‘hurry before it disappears’ panic that leads to rushing and then ejaculating quickly."
For anyone suffering with this issue, she reckons you need to address the erection problem first, as the 'ejaculation often sorts itself out' from there.
Dr Kaye then revealed her thoughts on the ongoing debate around how long is long enough when it comes to couples having sex.
"Here is something that might surprise you: studies suggest the average time to ejaculation during penetrative sex is around five and a half minutes," she went on. "That’s it.
"Despite what Hollywood, pornography and social media – or the banter of friends in a pub – might suggest, there is no Olympic standard for bedroom endurance.
"The feeling of having ejaculated 'too quickly' is highly subjective and varies wildly between couples. For some, it means ejaculating before penetration has even begun.
"For others, it means lasting several minutes but still feeling disappointed. Occasional early ejaculation is extremely common, and nothing to worry about."
How long do women want sex to last?
GQ journalist Sophia Benoit surveyed 2,380 people and found that 61 percent of partners on the receiving end of penetrative sex said they wanted it to last around five to ten minutes, excluding foreplay.
However, some of the women she spoke to said that they liked sex to last an hour - thankfully for men, that includes foreplay.
The average length of sex
A 2005 study of 500 straight couples found that penetrative sex tends to last 5.4 minutes.
Meanwhile, according to the Urology Care Foundation, premature ejaculation is sometimes defined as when a man ejaculates within two to three minutes of penetrative sex.
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships
Olivia Burke