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Can sex therapy help?

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In sex therapy, the possible psychological causes of premature ejaculation are treated – as well as problems like self-doubt or relationship conflicts. Sex therapy is based on your willingness to actively participate. There's hardly any research on how much it helps, though.

Premature ejaculation can be influenced by both psychological and biological factors – and they can affect each other as well. Some experts believe the causes tend to be biological in men who have always had trouble with premature ejaculation. They think that psychological causes are more likely if the premature ejaculation first developed over the course of the man's life.

So far there has hardly been any research on whether psychological factors are actually responsible for premature ejaculation and, if so, which factors. One possible cause of premature ejaculation could be a man's fear of not being able to satisfy his partner. Intense anxiety could lead to the problem becoming worse, and set off a “vicious circle.”

Purely biological causes could also result in psychological stress or relationship problems. So regardless of the causes, it’s worth looking into the effects it has on a man’s own wellbeing, on his partner and the relationship.

How can premature ejaculation cause problems in a relationship?

What are the goals of sex therapy?

What does sex therapy involve?

What can be expected from sex therapy?

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Updated on September 23, 2022

Next planned update: 2025

Publisher:

Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG, Germany)

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