By now most men know that premature ejaculation is a common issue which affects men all over the world. In most cases it’s the result of issues such as poor nutrition, increased levels of stress or anxiety or simply a reflection of a man’s physical fitness. Since these causes are personal, the treatments are often a Do It Yourself endeavour. But when should men consider seeking out the help of a professional and what steps can they take in the meantime?

1. How long do you last in bed?

There’s no point beating around the bush when it comes to early ejaculation. What men want to know right up front is how long they SHOULD be lasting. Movies, television shows and books all give the impression that sex is meant to be some kind of marathon and that “Real Men’ can last for hours. The truth however, is quite different. In truth, the time it takes a man to ejaculate during penetrative vaginal sex varies from one man to another and from one encounter to another making it difficult to assign average or normal times. Several studies have found most men to average around 4 or 5 minutes and other studies have determine that anything from 3 to 7 minutes is preferred by both partners.

2. Does ejaculating too soon detract from the experience?

To be fair, penetrative sex is only a small part of the overall sexual experience. Foreplay and other types of sexual activities are what round out a positive, healthy and pleasurable experience for both partners. In some cases, men get hung up on how long they are lasting once they begin to thrust and losing sight of the fact that they – and their partners – are actually quite happy with their sex life overall.

3. Has the issue worsened over time?

Early ejaculation can happen suddenly or it can be a condition that develops and worsens over time. Sudden cases are typically nothing more than the result of stress, a distracted mind or other temporary issues. More often than not a one off case is simply that – a momentary problem that crops up every so often but is nothing to worry about. Chronic conditions which worsen over time, however, can begin to affect a man’s personal life. If the condition has not improved as you have taken positive steps to improve your health, it may be time to enlist professional help.

4. Have you experienced an increase in stress or anxiety?

Perhaps you’ve had a new promotion at work, changed jobs recently or started a new relationship. All of these can be positive experiences but, at the same time, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety. Major life changes can often result in performance problems for men as they bring with them an increase in responsibility which, in turn, adds to a person’s stress levels. The solution here is to seek help in managing the stress or dispelling the anxiety. That could mean working with a therapist or simply taking up meditation or other physical activities known to relieve stress.

5. Do you feel as though something is wrong?

At the end of the day, whether or not you should seek help for early ejaculation comes down to your gut feeling. No matter how you rate your sex life or whether or not you measure up in terms of stamina, if you feel something may be amiss, it doesn’t hurt to get checked out. In many cases, simply seeing a doctor can improve early ejaculation since it helps to relieve anxiety surrounding the issue.