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You may be able to help stop a quick release due to premature ejaculation naturally. This can include supplements, practices, and products applied to the skin like ointments.

Ejaculation happens when semen is released from the penis during an orgasm. Premature ejaculation (PE) happens when ejaculation comes about a little too fast for your liking, especially if you and a partner want to keep having sex.

Premature ejaculation can lead to frustration and anxiety. Some people with premature ejaculation may even have less sex than they want to or avoid sex as a result. But there are treatments that can help.

Read on to learn more about home remedies and natural treatment options for premature ejaculation.

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People experiencing premature ejaculation tend to orgasm before or directly after penetration and are usually unable to delay ejaculation. PE is also known as:

  • rapid ejaculation
  • premature climax
  • early ejaculation

PE can also be related to psychological causes. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) lists three main criteria to diagnose PE:

  • You ejaculate less than a minute after initiating sexual intercourse with a partner more than 3 out of every 4 times you have sex — but you want to last longer.
  • You’ve ejaculated prematurely for longer than 6 months and feel anxious or frustrated about it to the point that it affects your daily life or health.
  • Your premature ejaculation doesn’t have an obvious external cause, such as another mental disorder, side effects from a medication, or a major source of stress in your life like a breakup or pressure at work.

So the cutoff time for PE is usually considered around 1 minute or less, with 3 minutes or longer considered a typical length of sexual activity before ejaculation.

PE is relatively common. According to one 2021 study, about 20% to 30% of sexually active men experience PE.

It’s hard to know exactly how many people truly experience PE. That’s because the relationship between ejaculation time and sexual satisfaction is often subjective to the person and their partner.

The perception of ejaculation happening too early can depend on how long the person wants to experience sexual intercourse before ejaculation. In some cases, a person may feel like they’re ejaculating too quickly even if they last 3 minutes or much longer before ejaculation.

What causes premature ejaculation?

It’s not quite known what causes premature ejaculation exactly, but the general consensus is that it’s often a psychological condition.

But not all cases of PE are the same. There are four main types of PE:

  • Primary: This occurs when you reach sexual maturity. It’s caused by repeated experiences that have conditioned you to ejaculate quickly, the psychological environment you grew up in, or sexual experiences that have traumatized you.
  • Secondary: This happens later in life after you’ve been sexually active for a while. It’s caused by medical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid conditions, or the effects of alcohol and recreational drugs.
  • Natural variable: This is when you notice that you’re ejaculating earlier than you normally do. This may be caused by a change in your sex life or even due to the specifics of a sexual encounter.
  • Subjective: This is when you ejaculate within a time that’s considered typical (about 3 minutes or longer after initiating sexual intercourse) and you don’t have any underlying medical conditions, but feel that you’re not lasting as long as you or your partner want.

Depression, anxiety, guilt, relationship issues, lack of confidence, and a history of sexual trauma can all play into the development of premature ejaculation.

Certain medical issues can also cause this condition, including:

  • lowered serotonin levels
  • atypical hormone levels
  • inflammation or infection in the urethra or prostate

Topical products for premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation wipes

Premature ejaculation wipes work by reducing sensation in the tip of the penis. These wipes contain benzocaine, a topical anesthetic that blocks the sodium channels that cause sensation in the penis.

A small 2017 study found that participants who used these wipes for at least 2 months experienced less distress related to intercourse. The majority of participants also ejaculated well after the 2-minute time period that’s typical of premature ejaculation.

The study participants also reported the wipes were well tolerated (i.e., no heavy side effects). But make sure to talk with your doctor before trying these benzocaine wipes, as topical anesthetic can cause more serious side effects in certain individuals.

Looking to try out benzocaine wipes for yourself? Here are two of our recommendations for the best climax delay wipes:

Topical gels and creams

Like premature ejaculation wipes, many over-the-counter (OTC) topical anesthetic creams contain a numbing agent that can treat premature ejaculation by reducing sensation and delaying climax. Apply the cream to your penis 10 to 15 minutes before sex for it to be most effective.

A 2017 review found that some topical creams could help increase the time it took to ejaculate, but further research is still needed to establish a clear range of that increased time.

Although generally well tolerated, anesthetic creams can cause:

  • mild pain
  • mild burning sensation
  • decreased libido
  • a temporary loss of sensitivity

Talk with your doctor about the right topical cream for such a sensitive area.

Try this out

Similar to climax delay wipes, some gels and creams also contain benzocaine and can be applied before sex to help potentially delay climax.

KY Duration Desensitizing Delay Gel

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Lidocaine spray

Like topical creams, lidocaine spray can help treat premature ejaculation by desensitizing the penis and decreasing hypersensitivity.

Try using the spray about 15 minutes before sex for best results. Known potential side effects include temporary sensitivity loss and some difficulty maintaining an erection before intercourse.

Try these out

If benzocaine wipes aren’t a good match for you, there are also climax delay sprays that feature lidocaine. Here are our two best recommendations:

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‘Climax control’ condoms

In general, condoms can decrease sensitivity and keep you from ejaculating early. But there are also climax control condoms available over the counter that are either made of a thicker latex material or contain a numbing agent meant to delay climax.

Try these out

Some condoms advertise using numbing agents inside the condom to lower penis sensitivity. These top two condom recommendations use benzocaine:

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Supplements for premature ejaculation

Zinc supplements

Zinc not only supports healthy immunity and cell growth, but the essential mineral may also help produce testosterone, which in some cases may help with premature ejaculation.

Zinc is one of the more natural treatments for men living with lowered testosterone. The recommended dosage is of 220 mg of zinc sulfate, twice a day, over 1 to 4 months.

It’s important to note that more is not always better, especially with supplements. Taking too much zinc may cause:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • kidney and stomach damage
  • a metallic taste in your mouth

Zinc supplements should only be considered along with your doctor’s evaluation to see if your zinc levels are too low. If you’re receiving a sufficient amount of zinc in your diet, a supplement won’t improve PE and could even result in zinc poisoning or a zinc overdose if too much zinc is taken.

Ayurvedic herbal medicine

Ayurveda is India’s traditional healing system. It relies on thousands of herbs to treat everything from diabetes to inflammation.

Certain Ayurvedic medicines, like kaunch beej, are thought to treat premature ejaculation when taken in capsule form twice daily with lukewarm water. Ayurvedic medicine has also been used in an effort to treat erectile dysfunction.

A 2017 study found that men who used Ayurvedic medicine saw a slight increase in the time it took to ejaculate during sex. Known potential side effects include:

  • stomach pain
  • dizziness
  • mild pain
  • decreased libido

Talk with a healthcare professional before adding any extra herbs or supplements to your diet. They may affect other medications you’re taking and may not be advisable for everyone.

Chinese herbal medicine

A weekly or daily dose of Chinese herbal medicine — in particular, Yimusake tablets or Qilin pills — may treat premature ejaculation by boosting sexual stamina and improving energy.

That 2017 study also found that different types of Chinese herbal medicine can increase ejaculation time by about 2 minutes. Known potential side effects include:

  • stomach pain
  • dizziness
  • mild pain

Again, make sure to talk with a healthcare professional before adding any extra herbs or supplements to your diet.

Home remedies for premature ejaculation

Pause-squeeze technique

The pause-squeeze technique may help ease premature ejaculation by letting arousal dwindle before climax. When you feel you’re ready to ejaculate, stop and have you or your partner squeeze the end of your penis where the head joins the shaft.

Have them hold the squeeze for several seconds until you no longer want to climax. Be sure to communicate with your partner during this process because they won’t know the correct timing otherwise.

Repeat this process as much as necessary. Eventually, you may be able to delay ejaculation without help.

Stop-start technique

The stop-start technique, also known as orgasm control or “edging,” can help delay climax by drawing out pleasure.

When you feel the urge to ejaculate, stop having sexual activity completely. Once you feel less aroused, slowly start to have sexual activity again. Repeat this process as much as necessary to help you manage ejaculation.

Pelvic floor exercises

Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can have a big effect on how long it takes you to climax.

An older 2014 study found that pelvic floor exercises can help men dealing with lifelong premature ejaculation manage their ejaculatory reflex, increasing the time it takes for them to climax. To perform pelvic floor exercises:

  1. Find the right muscles by stopping mid-stream while peeing or tightening the muscles that stop you from passing gas.
  2. While laying down, contract your pelvic floor muscles for 3 seconds, and then relax for 3 seconds. Do this at least 10 times in a row. Repeat at least 3 times a day.
  3. Gradually increase the number of seconds as your muscles become stronger. Try new positions, like standing, walking, or sitting down.
  4. Don’t forget to breathe, and remember to focus only on your pelvic floor muscles. Don’t tighten your abs, thighs, or buttocks.

Masturbation

Masturbating an hour or two before you have sexual activity may help delay ejaculation during penetration. This sexual release should reduce your need to climax quickly.

Avoid intercourse for a period of time

Focus on other types of sexual activity instead of intercourse may help take the pressure off your sexual encounters.

Penetration isn’t the only way to reach sexual satisfaction. Think about other ways you and your partner can feel pleasure that won’t cause either of you distress or frustration.

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While occasional premature ejaculation isn’t a cause for alarm, talk with your doctor if it’s persistent. Certain home remedies like the ones listed above may provide relief in the moment. But if there’s an underlying condition causing your premature ejaculation — like a hormone imbalance — only a doctor will be able to diagnose it.

Premature ejaculation isn’t usually permanent. Treating an underlying condition that’s causing PE, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, may help you last longer during sex if you have secondary PE.

And depending on the type of PE you have, you may find that the time it takes you to ejaculate may change once you remove stressors from your life, change the positions you try during sex, or even try techniques like edging or pelvic floor strengthening.

Your perception of how long you should last may change over time as your preferences change. Your partner may also be perfectly happy with something quick.

The common attitude that “good” sex has to last for a long time isn’t necessarily true for everyone, especially for partners who may also come quickly or get sore and uncomfortable from prolonged sexual contact.

There’s no research suggesting that premature ejaculation can directly cause erectile dysfunction (ED).

But the two conditions share some of the same causes, such as stress, trauma, or underlying medical conditions.

And while ED is a medical condition that can be diagnosed and treated, PE is often psychological and may go away as trauma, stressors, or other health conditions are addressed. ED may continue even after psychological causes are resolved.

Any kind of sex without a barrier method and involving ejaculation from a penis into a vagina can cause pregnancy.

That’s not to say that every ejaculation can cause pregnancy. There are many other factors that affect a person’s ability to get pregnant, such as:

  • the age of the person

  • how many eggs that person has or how healthy they are

  • where a person is on their ovulation cycle

  • whether that person is using any kind of birth control

  • whether a sperm reaches an egg to fertilize it

  • whether sperm are abundant or healthy enough to reach an egg in the first place

Premature ejaculation is a typical and common type of sexual concern that affects 30% to 75% of men in the United States.

While some of these home remedies may be effective for some people, if premature ejaculation persists and is affecting your life, talk with your doctor to rule out any underlying causes and explore other treatment options.