Types of Premature Ejaculation

PE can be divided into different categories to better classify the disorder.  The first subdivision relates to the time of onset of the disorder in a man’s life and uses the terms Primary or Secondary PE.  Global and Situational describe the second way to characterise the disorder and relate to circumstances and situations in which PE is apparent.  Furthermore men with PE can be described as being on a spectrum with differing levels of severity.

Primary PE

Primary PE is present around the time of puberty when sexual functionality kicks in.  With this type of PE it is more likely that PE is experienced in all situations; in other words, this is Global Primary PE.  It is especially common for this type of PE to be present in those suffering from the condition as a lifelong issue.


Secondary PE

Secondary PE is where you were previously able to pursue sexual relations with no issues over control, but have now developed difficulties with delaying climax to a satisfactory point for both you and your partner.  This type of PE may develop later in life in conjunction with erectile dysfunction and may be progressive but is often more easily treatable.

Global PE

Global PE denoted the occurrence of PE in all situations regardless of partner or level of sexual arousal and is frequently found to be in conjunction with Primary PE.

Situational PE

For some people, PE may only occur under particular circumstances such as with a specific partner or situation.  This is Situational PE and is more common alongside Secondary PE.

Severity of the disorder

In addition to these sub categorisations that can be used to define PE, it is also important to understand that there are differing severities of the disorder.  For those with severe PE the condition can be particularly distressing.  This often requires a more aggressive treatment plan than simply practising behavioural techniques during foreplay and intercourse.  In even more extreme cases a man may find that he frequently ejaculates before he is able to penetrate the vagina.  At the other end of the spectrum however, you may be reaching climax at mostly acceptable lengths of time but still find that you orgasm before your partner.  This would more likely be described as mild PE.  In cases where you would generally not be described as having PE but find that your partner rarely reaches climax when you do, the problem may in fact lie with your partner experiencing a delayed orgasm or from them not getting stimulation in the right way for an orgasm to occur.

In a study of 491 men, each was requested to measure their IELT using a stopwatch from the initiation of sexual intercourse to its completion.  While IELTs varied from 30 seconds to 44 minutes, the median time was 5.4 minutes and data distribution was strongly skewed with most men at the lower end of the range.  When percentiles were calculated to establish standards of the disorder, the 0.5 percentile was 0.9 minutes and the 2.5 percentile was 1.3 minutes.

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