Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) is the time it takes to
ejaculate
Ejaculation is the discharge of semen (the ''ejaculate''; normally containing sperm) from the male reproductory tract as a result of an orgasm. It is the final stage and natural objective of male sexual stimulation, and an essential component ...
during
vaginal penetration
Sexual intercourse (or coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion and thrusting of the penis into the vagina for sexual pleasure or reproduction.Sexual intercourse most commonly means penile–vaginal penetr ...
.
Average IELT varies between people and tends to decrease with age.
Some medications such as
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drugs that are typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and other psychological conditions.
SSRIs increase the extracell ...
(SSRIs) affect IELT. IELT is one factor used to diagnose and treat conditions such as
premature ejaculation
Premature ejaculation (PE) occurs when a man expels semen (and most likely experiences orgasm) soon after beginning sexual activity, and with minimal penile stimulation. It has also been called ''early ejaculation'', ''rapid ejaculation'', ''ra ...
.
IELT may be relevant in perceptions of sexual performance and actual satisfaction, which may also be dependent on many other factors.
Studies
Researchers have made conflicting discoveries about IELT. In a multinational study,
the authors studied 491 men in the
Netherlands
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, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
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,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
,
UK, and
US. The men were in stable heterosexual relationships. Over a four-week period, couples recorded IELT data using a stopwatch and noted condom use. Median IELT was independent of condom use. Median IELT decreased with age (18–30: 6.5 minutes, 31–50: 5.4 minutes, above 51: 4.3 minutes). Median IELT for all participants was 5.4 minutes. Median IELT varied significantly by individual with 14% of men under 3:20 and 26% of men over 10:00. Potential problems include total sample size, small sample size per country, too few observations for each participant, and psychological effects of using a stopwatch.
In 1991, scholars from the
Kinsey Institute
The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction (often shortened to The Kinsey Institute) is a research institute at Indiana University. Established in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1947 as a nonprofit, the institute merged with Indi ...
stated, "The truth is that the time between penetration and ejaculation varies not only from man to man, but from one time to the next for the same man." They added that the appropriate length for sexual intercourse is the length of time it takes for both partners to be mutually satisfied, emphasizing that
Kinsey "found that 75 percent of men ejaculated within two minutes of penetration at least half of the time." In their book ''Human Sexual Response'',
Masters and Johnson
The Masters and Johnson research team, composed of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, pioneered research into the nature of human sexual response and the diagnosis and treatment of sexual disorders and dysfunctions from 1957 until the 1 ...
published a variety of findings on sexual response and satisfaction based on direct observation and medical exams. Sexual satisfaction is independent of how long intercourse lasts. A man's response time varies with a woman's menstrual cycle; shorter IELTs occur nearest to ovulation. Both partners' sexual experience also affects latency time.
A 2008 survey of Canadian and American
sex therapists
Sex therapy is a strategy for the improvement of sexual function and treatment of sexual dysfunction. This includes sexual dysfunctions such as premature ejaculation or delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual interest or arousal ...
stated that the average time for heterosexual intercourse (coitus) was 7 minutes and that 1 to 2 minutes was too short, 3 to 7 minutes was adequate and 7 to 13 minutes desirable, while 13 to 30 minutes was too long.
Effect of substances
Numerous chemical substances influence the IELT. Substances such as alcohol and opioids (e.g. heroin, morphine, oxycodone) depress the central nervous system, prolonging the IELT, while
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of drugs that are typically used as antidepressants in the treatment of major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and other psychological conditions.
SSRIs increase the extracell ...
(SSRIs) (e.g.
dapoxetine
Dapoxetine, marketed as Priligy, among others, is a medication used for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE) in men 18–64 years old. Dapoxetine works by inhibiting the serotonin transporter, increasing serotonin's action at the postsyna ...
) delay ejaculation by blocking a physiological process connected to ejaculatory inevitability, "the male point of no return". For that reason, SSRIs can be prescribed to treat premature ejaculation.
See also
*
Delayed ejaculation
Delayed ejaculation (DE) describes a man's inability or persistent difficulty in achieving orgasm, despite typical sexual desire and sexual stimulation. Generally, a man can reach orgasm within a few minutes of active thrusting during sexual inter ...
*
Human sexual response cycle
The human sexual response cycle is a four-stage model of physiological responses to sexual stimulation, which, in order of their occurrence, are the excitement, plateau, orgasmic, and resolution phases. This physiological response model was first ...
*
Orgasm
Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling") or sexual climax is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region charac ...
*
Premature ejaculation
Premature ejaculation (PE) occurs when a man expels semen (and most likely experiences orgasm) soon after beginning sexual activity, and with minimal penile stimulation. It has also been called ''early ejaculation'', ''rapid ejaculation'', ''ra ...
*
Refractory period (sex)
In human sexuality, the refractory period is usually the recovery phase after orgasm during which it is physiologically impossible for a man to have additional orgasms. This phase begins immediately after ejaculation and lasts until the excitemen ...
References
Sexual health
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