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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to first talk with your family doctor or general practitioner about premature ejaculation. Don't hesitate to bring up the topic with your doctor during a general checkup or a visit for other health concerns. Your doctor knows that a healthy sex life is very important to your well-being, and he or she may ask you about your satisfaction with your sex life before you even have a chance to bring it up.
It's normal to feel embarrassed when talking about sexual problems, but you can trust that your doctor has had similar conversations with many of his or her patients. Premature ejaculation is a very common — and treatable — condition.
Being ready to talk about premature ejaculation will help you get the treatment you need to get your sex life back on track. The information below should help you prepare to make the most of your appointment.
Information to write down in advance
- Pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make your appointment, ask if there are any restrictions you need to follow in the time leading up to your visit.
- Symptoms. How often do you ejaculate before you or your partner would wish? How long after you begin having intercourse do you typically ejaculate?
- Sexual history. Think back on your relationships and sexual encounters since you first became sexually active. Have you had problems with premature ejaculation before? With whom, and under what circumstances?
- Medical history. Write down any other medical conditions with which you've been diagnosed, included mental health conditions. Also note the names and strengths of all medications you're currently taking or have recently taken, including prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
- Questions to ask your doctor. Creating your list of questions in advance can help you make the most of your time with your doctor.
Basic questions to ask your doctor
The list below suggests questions to ask your doctor about premature ejaculation. Don't hesitate to ask more questions during your appointment at any time that you don't understand something.
- What may be causing my premature ejaculation?
- What tests do you recommend?
- What treatment approach do you recommend?
- How soon after I begin treatment can I expect improvement?
- How much improvement can I reasonably expect?
- Am I at risk of this problem recurring?
- Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
- Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take home with me? What Web sites do you recommend visiting?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor may ask a number of very personal questions and may want to include your partner in the interview. To help your doctor determine the cause of your problem and the best course of treatment, be ready to answer questions such as:
- How often do you have premature ejaculation?
- Has this problem developed gradually or suddenly?
- Do you have premature ejaculation only with a specific partner or partners?
- Do you experience premature ejaculation when you masturbate?
- Do you have premature ejaculation every time you have sex?
- How often do you have sex?
- How much are you bothered by premature ejaculation?
- How much is your partner bothered by premature ejaculation?
- How satisfied are you with your current relationship?
- What were your first sexual experiences?
- Are you also having trouble getting and maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction)?
- What medications have you recently started or stopped taking?
- Do you use recreational drugs?
What you can do in the meantime
While you wait for your appointment, consider taking a break from sexual intercourse and instead focusing on other ways of enjoying and connecting with your partner. Premature ejaculation can cause considerable strain and anxiety in a relationship, but it is a treatable condition. Deciding to talk with your doctor is the most important step you can take. In the meantime, enjoy the many other ways in which you and your partner bring each other pleasure.
- Lue TF, et al. Evaluation and nonsurgical management of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation. In: Wein AJ, et al, eds. Wein: Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:756.
- Premature ejaculation. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Waldinger, MD. Premature ejaculation: State of the art. Urologic Clinics of North America. 2007;34:591.
- McMahon CG. An evidence-based definition of lifelong premature ejaculation: Report of the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) ad hoc committee for the definition of premature ejaculation. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:1590.
- Althof SE. Psychological approaches to the treatment of rapid ejaculation. The Journal of Men's Health & Gender. 2006;3:180.
- Park J, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine in men's health. Journal of Men's Health. 2008;5:305.
- Dhikav V. Yoga in premature ejaculation: A comparative trial with fluoxetine. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2007;4:1726.
