PE is thought to affect over 36 million men and is the most common sexual complaint of men under 50 years of age. It is defined as uncontrolled, unwanted ejaculation occurring less than 5 minutes after initial stimulation, or within 2 minutes of insertion. It should be stressed that it is subjective as it depends on the mutual satisfaction of both partners. Nevertheless, it can be a very distressing event, resulting in severe disruption to the relationships (or difficulty in forming them) and low self-esteem. 

 

The cause of ED is unknown, but is likely to involve both physical and behavioural components. The following have been suggested;