What is ejaculation disorder?
Doctors speak of an ejaculation disorder when men have problems with ejaculation. During ejaculation, various secretions are expelled out through the urethra together with the sperm stored in the testicles. Usually, this happens at the same time as the man’s orgasm. In the case of an ejaculation disorder, the complex interaction is disturbed.
What ejaculation disorders are there?
Ejaculation disorders have many faces. There are different forms: painful ejaculation, delayed ejaculation, premature ejaculation, misdirected ejaculation and failure to ejaculate.
Ejaculatory disorders are not uncommon and increase with age. This is because with increasing years often not only libido and orgasm intensity change. Older men often also develop diseases of the prostate gland (such as benign prostate enlargement) that require treatment with medication or surgery. As a possible consequence, ejaculation may be impaired from then on.
Painful ejaculation
Pain during/after ejaculation is particularly unpleasant for those affected: the stabbing or burning pain associated with orgasm can significantly dampen sexual pleasure.
Causes of painful ejaculation
Inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis): Typical of this is pain during or after ejaculation in the area of the prostate, which can radiate to the testicles and perineum.
Urethritis: An inflamed urethra may present with pain after ejaculation inside the penis and sometimes at the glans.
Inflammation of the testicles (orchitis): If there is pain in the groin after ejaculation, inflammation of the testicles is suspected.
Inflammation of the vas deferens (deferentitis): It can cause very unpleasant pain during ejaculation, which can occur in the area of the testicles, groin or prostate, respectively.
Muscle and nerve damage: sometimes pain during ejaculation is caused by inflammation or injury to muscles or nerves in the pelvic or groin area.
Psychological causes: Psychological conflicts, such as in a couple’s relationship, can also be the reason for painful ejaculations.
Delayed ejaculation: Ejaculatio retarda
Delayed ejaculation is – compared to premature ejaculation – a rather rare phenomenon. Men who suffer from it may only reach orgasm and thus ejaculate after a longer-than-average period of stimulation.
Causes of delayed ejaculation
Common causes of ejaculatio retarda include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Diabetes mellitus
- Operations in the pelvic region
- medications, especially antidepressants, which affect the serotonin balance
- reduced sensitivity of the penis
- psychological problems, e.g. a high performance requirement of the man and the associated fear of not living up to the expectations of the partner as well as possible partnership conflicts
Treatment depends on the underlying cause. For example, if delayed ejaculation is a side effect of antidepressants taken, switching to a different drug sometimes provides relief. Psychological causes can often be treated in couples or sex therapy.
Misdirected ejaculation: Retrograde ejaculation
In retrograde ejaculation, the semen does not flow out through the penis during orgasm, but in the opposite direction (backwards) and thus into the urinary bladder.
This can happen, for example, if as a result of surgical removal of the prostate via the urinary bladder (transurethral prostate resection, TURP) the bladder sphincter was injured. This procedure is mainly performed for benign prostate enlargement.
Further possible causes of retrograde ejaculation can be found in the article Dry orgasm.
Failure to ejaculate: Anejaculation
You can learn more about the total absence of ejaculation in the article Dry orgasm.
Premature ejaculation: Ejaculatio praecox
Premature ejaculation is the most common form of ejaculatory disorder. Men who are affected by it climax, including ejaculation, after minimal stimulation.
The problem can occur from the very first sexual experience, or it can develop later in life.
You can find out everything you need to know about ejaculatio praecox and how it can be treated in the article Premature ejaculation.
