Premature ejaculation, also known as rapid ejaculation, is the most common male sexual problem. Affected males are unable to last as long as they would like to during sex, regardless of the time or number of strokes. A high percentage of teenage boys suffer from this condition, while many men over the age of 55 suffer from the opposite problem - delayed ejaculation. There is no precise definition of what is too premature/rapid but it is generally accepted that reaching orgasm less than thirty seconds into sex is too quick. Premature ejaculation is very rarely caused by a physical or structural problem but, if so, would also be associated with other symptoms. The results of a physical examination are usually normal and any abnormal findings are unlikely to be associated with the condition. If the simple techniques below do not improve performance, then psychological intervention may be needed.

Infrequent sex generally affects ejaculation control. Even a man with normally good control may reach orgasm quickly after a long period of time without sex. Premature ejaculation is also common the first few times that a man has sex with a new partner. Men with good ejaculatory control can enjoy sustained levels of sexual arousal before choosing to ejaculate. A man without this control tends to go from zero excitement to orgasm without leveling off in-between.

In general, practice and relaxation is all that is necessary to deal with this problem. Most men can gain better control by learning the "start-stop" or "squeeze" techniques.

• Stop and Start method: This involves sexual stimulation until the man recognizes that he is about to ejaculate; the stimulation is then removed for about 30 seconds and then may be resumed. The sequence is repeated until ejaculation is desired.
• Squeeze method: This involves sexual stimulation until the man recognizes that he is about to ejaculate; at that point, the man or his partner firmly squeezes the end of the penis (where the tip meets the shaft) for several seconds, withholding further sexual stimulation for about 30 seconds, and then resuming stimulation.