By 
Kristopher Bunting, MD
Updated on October 17, 2022
This article is a repost which originally appeared on healthnews.
Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.
Whether you have problems with premature ejaculation or you simply want sex to last longer, there are many ways to last longer in bed. Making sex last longer can involve maintaining an erection for longer, delaying ejaculation, and reducing the time to achieve another erection after ejaculating. There are a variety of ways to improve your sexual stamina and make sex more satisfying for both you and your partner.
Key takeaways:
‧ There are many ways to improve male sexual stamina, including medications and sexual techniques. Increased foreplay and emotional intimacy may also improve sexual performance.
‧ Medications for erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation can improve stamina and sexual performance.
‧ Controlling sexual stimulation by using numbing sprays or gels, certain sexual positions, and other techniques can help men control when they orgasm.
How long should sex last?
Ideally, sex should last for as long as you want it to. Many people think of sex as penetration, but it can (and should) involve much more. Research shows that the average time until ejaculation during penetrative sex is between 5 and 6 minutes. For most people, achieving orgasm is the goal of sex. While 5 minutes of penetration (or less) will get many men where they want to get to, it takes longer for women to climax from penetration alone. So, how can you make sex last longer?
Foreplay
There is more to sex than just penetration and orgasm. Foreplay is important for mutual arousal; it gives you and your partner time to stimulate yourselves and each other. Take time to use all of your senses to get excited and prepare for the main event.
Kegel exercises
Kegel exercises can help both men and women strengthen pelvic floor muscles, improving continence and sexual function. A strong pelvic floor can help you control when you ejaculate.
Work on your relationship
Sex is both physical and mental. Both the body and the mind need to be stimulated and aroused to enjoy sex. Emotional intimacy plays a role in sexual arousal, especially in long-term relationships. Research has shown that emotional intimacy is linked to sexual desire. Furthermore, good communication in a relationship is linked to improved sexual satisfaction and decreased sexual dysfunction. Communicating sexual needs with your partner can improve sex and may help you last longer.
Medication
Medications used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) can also improve sexual stamina. Commonly used antidepressants such as Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Celexa (citalopram), and other drugs that raise serotonin levels in the brain can help delay ejaculation. While this can be an unwanted side effect for some, it can help people with PE have more control over when they orgasm.
ED medications can help some men recover more quickly after ejaculating and may improve sexual performance in men without erectile dysfunction. Viagra (sildenafil), Cialis (tadalafil), and other erectile dysfunction medications improve blood flow to the penis. This allows men with mild to moderate ED to have firmer, longer-lasting erections. Remember, these are prescription medications; you should not take them without first being evaluated by a doctor. They can have extremely dangerous interactions with other medications, including nitrates taken for chest pain or amyl nitrate and amyl nitrite (poppers) taken recreationally.
Reduce stimulation
Topical anesthetics are used to treat PE and can help men delay orgasms. A variety of topical numbing creams, sprays, and personal lubricants are available that reduce stimulation of the penis, including condoms with numbing lubricant. However, these can cause skin irritation and discomfort in some people, so check with your partner before using a topical anesthetic.
Other ways to reduce penile stimulation and delay orgasm include wearing a condom and using more lubrication. Wearing a condom not only helps prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy, but it can also decrease stimulation of the penis, especially thicker condoms. Using lubrication during sex can reduce friction and stimulation.
Techniques to delay orgasm
There are a variety of techniques that can be employed to help delay orgasm and ejaculation. Techniques recommended for people with PE include the squeeze technique (gently squeezing the head of the penis for several seconds) and the start and stop technique (stop penile stimulation for 30 seconds). Other techniques include pausing and taking a deep breath or shifting your focus away from sexual sensations during sex. In other words, slow down and take a moment to rest before you reach orgasm.
Masturbating before sex can help delay ejaculation, but timing is important. Practicing edging, bringing yourself to the brink of orgasm while masturbating, can help you learn how to recognize when you are about to orgasm and allow you to practice techniques to delay orgasm.
Try something different
There are many Tantric and Taoist sexual practices that can help control ejaculation and improve sexual pleasure for men and their partners. The “sets of nines” technique is an easy way to control mutual stimulation. It involves performing 9 sets of 9 controlled thrusts, beginning with 9 shallow thrusts, followed by 8 shallow thrusts and 1 deep thrust, then 7 shallow thrusts and 2 deep thrusts, and so on, ending with 9 deep thrusts. It is a simple technique, but it is very effective for controlling ejaculation and building up sexual excitement.
Certain sexual positions can help control ejaculation, especially positions that allow for grinding, as opposed to thrusting. Partner on top positions, the lotus position, and the Coital Alignment Technique can maintain constant stimulation for your partner while limiting stimulation to the penis from thrusting. Explore the Kama Sutra and other books for tips on which positions can help you control when you orgasm.
Get healthy
Overall health affects sexual function; eating a proper diet and getting enough exercise can improve your sexual health. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease—all of these conditions can affect sexual function and they can all be improved or prevented through diet and exercise.
You can improve your sexual stamina
There are many ways for men to improve their sexual stamina. Foreplay, communication, and emotional intimacy can improve sex. Medications, condoms, and lubricants can delay orgasm and reduce stimulation. A variety of techniques can help men control when they orgasm, including techniques used for premature ejaculation and certain sexual positions. Give some of these a try and find out what works best for you.
Resources:
1. Urology Care Foundation. Premature Ejaculation.
2. The Journal of Sexual Medicine. Original Research—Ejaculation Disorders: A Multinational Population Survey of Intravaginal Ejaculation Latency Time.
3. International Society for Sexual Medicine. Women’s Orgasm Takes Longer During Partnered Sex.
4. Mayo Clinic. Kegel Exercises for Men: Understand the Benefits.
5. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. The Associations of Intimacy and Sexuality in Daily Life.
6. The Journal of Sex Research. Couples’ Sexual Communication and Dimensions of Sexual Function: A Meta-Analysis.
7. Cleveland Clinic. Premature Ejaculation.
8. International Journal of Impotence Research. Sildenafil Does Not Improve Sexual Function in Men Without Erectile Dysfunction but Does Reduce the Postorgasmic Refractory Time.
9. Nature Reviews Urology. Sildenafil Improves Sexual Function in Men Without Erectile Dysfunction.
10. Mayo Clinic. Erectile Dysfunction: Viagra and Other Oral Medications.
11. Circulation. Drug Interactions With Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors Used for the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction or Pulmonary Hypertension.
12. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. The Coital Alignment Technique (CAT): An Overview of Studies.
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