How to last longer in bed: what the evidence says

Finishing sooner than you'd like is common. BAUS, the British Association of Urological Surgeons, calls premature ejaculation the most common type of ejaculation problem, and says fewer than a quarter of men who have it seek medical advice.

For anyone wondering how to last longer in bed, the useful research falls into four areas: how long sex usually lasts, which techniques have been tested, which medicines are licensed in the UK, and when it's worth seeing a GP.

How long does sex usually last?

The average time to ejaculate during sex is around 5½ minutes, according to BAUS. It adds that there's no definition of how long sex should last: it's up to each couple to decide whether they're happy with the time it takes, and occasional quick finishes are common and not a cause for concern.

Timing studies give similar numbers. A 2005 study by Waldinger and colleagues timed sex with a stopwatch in a random group of 491 men in five countries: the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and the United States. The ISSM's 2014 guideline sums up that study and a second five-nation study from 2009: the median times were 5.4 and 6.0 minutes, with individual times ranging from about 6 seconds to about 53 minutes. In those samples, 6% of men took less than 2 minutes and 2.5% less than 1 minute. The ISSM points out that these figures aren't necessarily rates of lifelong premature ejaculation, because the studies didn't assess distress or how long the pattern had lasted.

Sex therapists' opinions line up with the measurements. In a 2008 survey of members of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research in the US and Canada, the middle half of answers put an "adequate" time at 3 to 7 minutes and a "desirable" one at 7 to 13 minutes. For "too short" and "too long", the middle half of answers ran from 1 to 2 minutes and from 10 to 30 minutes. The authors found the therapists' beliefs were consistent with measured data.

How long is normal, and where premature ejaculation starts

	Time.	Where the figure comes from.
Average time to ejaculate during sex	Around 5½ minutes	BAUS patient information
Median time in two five-nation timing studies	5.4 and 6.0 minutes	Waldinger and colleagues (2005 and 2009), in the ISSM guideline
Men in those studies who took less than 2 minutes	6% (2.5% took less than 1 minute)	The same studies, in the ISSM guideline
"Adequate", in sex therapists' opinion	3 to 7 minutes (the middle half of answers)	Survey of US and Canadian sex therapists, 2008
"Too short", in sex therapists' opinion	1 to 2 minutes (the middle half of answers)	The same survey, 2008
Lifelong premature ejaculation	Always or nearly always before or within about 1 minute of penetration, from the first sexual experience	International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM), 2014
Acquired premature ejaculation	A clear, bothersome drop in time, often to about 3 minutes or less	ISSM, 2014
Regarded as abnormal by BAUS	1 minute or less, more than 75% of the time	BAUS patient information

Time is only one part of the definition: the ISSM also requires being unable to delay ejaculation on all or nearly all occasions, and distress or bother because of it. The studies measured vaginal sex between men and women, and the ISSM says its definition does not cover sex between men.

For more on the numbers, see how long does sex last? What the research says.

When does finishing quickly count as premature ejaculation?

By the definition specialists use, finishing quickly counts as premature ejaculation when it happens on nearly every occasion, comes within about a minute of penetration (or is a clear drop from what you used to manage), and causes distress or bother. The NHS says occasional episodes are common and not a cause for concern.

The NHS describes premature ejaculation as ejaculating sooner than you or your partner would like. Specialists use a tighter definition. The one published by the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) in 2014 has three parts:

• Time: ejaculation that always or nearly always happens before or within about 1 minute of penetration, from your first sexual experience (lifelong premature ejaculation), or a clear and bothersome drop in time, often to about 3 minutes or less (acquired premature ejaculation).
• Control: being unable to delay ejaculation on all or nearly all occasions.
• Impact: distress, bother or frustration, or avoiding sexual intimacy because of it.

BAUS gives a similar working line: one minute or less, more than 75% of the time. The 2026 European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines describe early ejaculation that comes and goes irregularly as "variable" premature ejaculation, which they consider a normal variation in sexual function.

Nobody knows exactly how common premature ejaculation is. BAUS says between 1 in 3 and 1 in 5 men are thought to have it. Lifelong premature ejaculation is much rarer: the ISSM says it is unlikely to affect more than 4% of the general population. Our guide to premature ejaculation covers the types, the causes and what a GP will ask.

How to last longer in bed naturally: which techniques have evidence?

The most widely used techniques for lasting longer are stop-start and squeeze, and the NHS describes both (it calls stop-start "stop-go"). They were designed to help men recognise the middle levels of arousal, and in both you stop before the point of ejaculation. The NHS says they may sound simple but take lots of practice, and a psychosexual therapist can teach them.

The stop-start technique

1. Start on your own. Masturbate, and stop before the point of ejaculation.
2. Pause, then start again. Repeat this several times before you let yourself ejaculate.
3. Build up in stages. The ISSM describes moving from practising alone, to a partner's hand, to penetration without movement, and finally to stopping and starting during sex.
4. Once you feel more confident about delaying ejaculation, use it during sex, stopping and starting as you need to.

The squeeze technique

This adds one step. As the NHS describes it, you masturbate, stop before the point of ejaculation and squeeze the head of your penis for 10 to 20 seconds. Then you let go, wait another 30 seconds and start again, repeating this several times before you allow yourself to ejaculate.

How well do these techniques work?

The evidence for these techniques is limited. The ISSM notes that most studies of psychological treatments for premature ejaculation, which include these techniques, have been uncontrolled, with small to moderate numbers of men. A 2015 systematic review of 10 randomised trials (521 men) found two trials in which squeeze, stop-start and sensate focus increased the time to ejaculation by 7 to 9 minutes compared with a waiting list, while two others (web-based sensate focus and a stimulation device) found no difference.

The 2026 EAU guidelines call the evidence for these psychosexual treatments weak and inconsistent, and say their long-term results are unknown. Techniques may add something to medicine: in three trials, techniques plus medicine beat medicine alone, though by only half a minute to a minute (the 2015 review). The EAU also says the evidence suggests stop-start exercises, combined with education and mindfulness, improve symptoms, along with the distress, anxiety and depression that can come with premature ejaculation. Step-by-step versions, and what "edging" means, are in our guide to stop-start, squeeze and edging.

Do pelvic floor exercises help you last longer?

Pelvic floor exercises may help you last longer, though on their own they seem to do less than dapoxetine. BAUS lists pelvic floor (Kegel) exercises among the behavioural strategies it calls effective for premature ejaculation, as a way to strengthen the muscles used in ejaculation.

A 2026 review of five randomised trials (236 men) found exercise programmes alone had a smaller effect on the time to ejaculation than dapoxetine or combined treatments. A 2018 study looked back at 154 men with lifelong premature ejaculation and followed them for up to three years, which its authors believe is the longest follow-up reported for any treatment of premature ejaculation. Of the 122 who completed a 12-week programme of pelvic floor physiotherapy, electrical stimulation and biofeedback, 111 gained control of ejaculation; among the 95 followed up for three years, 64% still had satisfactory control at two years and 56% at three. The study had no control group: it compared men with their own starting point.

How to find and train your pelvic floor

This method comes from an NHS hospital leaflet on pelvic floor exercises for men (University Hospitals Sussex), written for bladder and bowel control. BAUS lists pelvic floor exercises as an effective strategy for premature ejaculation but doesn't give a routine.

1. Sit or lie comfortably, with your thighs, buttocks and tummy relaxed.
2. Tighten the ring of muscle around your back passage, as if you were holding in wind, then relax. When you tighten the right muscles, you may feel the base of your penis move up slightly towards your tummy.
3. Squeeze and lift, hold for a count of five, then relax for a few seconds. Build up to holding for 10 seconds, and up to 8 to 10 squeezes.
4. Follow with five to ten short, strong squeezes, letting go straight away.
5. Do the whole routine at least 4 to 5 times a day. Don't hold your breath, push down, or tighten your tummy, buttocks or thighs.

The leaflet doesn't mention ejaculation. For bladder and bowel control, it says you probably won't notice an improvement for several weeks, and if you can't feel a definite squeeze and lift, a physiotherapist or continence adviser can teach you. For a full routine, see Kegel exercises for men: how to do pelvic floor exercises.

What simple things can help you last longer during sex?

To last longer during sex, the NHS says three things can sometimes help: masturbating an hour or two beforehand, using a thick condom (see delay condoms and wipes explained), and having sex with your partner on top, so they can pull away when you're close to ejaculating. BAUS says masturbating before sex may help younger men in particular.

If you're after how to last longer in sex without medicine, these self-help steps and the techniques above are the NHS's suggestions. The NHS also says condoms are effective, particularly when combined with a local anaesthetic.

Could anxiety or erection problems be behind it?

Anxiety and erection problems can both play a part in finishing too soon. The NHS says common psychological causes of premature ejaculation may include anxiety about sexual performance, particularly at the start of a new relationship or after earlier problems with sexual performance, along with depression, stress and relationship problems.

The EAU guidelines say many men with erection problems develop premature ejaculation because of the anxiety of getting and keeping an erection, and that some men mistake the normal loss of an erection after ejaculating for erectile dysfunction. The EAU guidelines and the BNF both say erection problems should be treated first when they're part of the picture. The research on anxiety as a cause is mixed, though: BAUS also says the cause of premature ejaculation is unknown and appears unrelated to performance anxiety, and the EAU says limited data support the anxiety theory.

If worry is the main thing, see our guide to sexual performance anxiety in men. If erections are the issue, start with erectile dysfunction: causes and what helps, and for the question everyone asks, does Viagra make you last longer?

How do you talk to your partner about it?

The NHS says that communicating your concerns can often go a long way to resolving them, and that if you're seeking treatment it's usually recommended to involve your partner as much as possible. It adds that in some cases a partner may have problems of their own that are contributing.

The EAU guidelines also recommend including the partner where possible, and note that a partner's satisfaction with the sexual relationship falls as premature ejaculation gets more severe. Partners can take part in the techniques too: the stop-start programme the ISSM describes moves from practising alone to a partner's hand, then to sex itself. A psychosexual therapist can see you together.

Can counselling or sex therapy help?

Counselling and sex therapy can help, and the evidence is better for combining them with medicine than for using them alone. In psychosexual counselling, the NHS explains, a therapist helps you, and a partner if you have one, explore any relationship issues, and shows you techniques such as squeeze and stop-start.

The EAU guidelines say psychosexual treatment alone lacks empirical support, but that combining it with medicine gives better results than medicine alone. BAUS still calls counselling, mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) the cornerstone of managing premature ejaculation, and says they may help men whose premature ejaculation is less troublesome.

Some areas provide sex therapy on the NHS, but the NHS says availability varies widely depending on where you live. You can also pay privately: the NHS says sex therapists should be members of the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT) or the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine, and Relate offers sex therapy for a fee.

Are there pills to help you last longer in bed?

A few medicines can help men last longer in bed, and all of them have side effects. In the UK, dapoxetine (Priligy) is a prescription tablet licensed for premature ejaculation, and a local anaesthetic spray containing lidocaine and prilocaine is licensed for lifelong premature ejaculation and sold in pharmacies (more in delay sprays, creams and gels explained). Doctors also use some antidepressants off-label, and sildenafil may help.

• Dapoxetine (Priligy) is a short-acting SSRI, a type of antidepressant, licensed to be taken when needed rather than every day. It's prescription-only, and local NHS areas decide whether to prescribe it on the NHS. The BNF says it is for men who meet all of a set of criteria, including marked distress and a time to ejaculation of less than two minutes. The NHS says it isn't recommended for some men with heart, kidney or liver problems; common side effects include headaches, dizziness and feeling sick.
• Lidocaine and prilocaine spray is a local anaesthetic medicine, and the BNF lists it as a pharmacy medicine. The 2026 EAU guidelines recommend it, or dapoxetine, as a first-line treatment for lifelong premature ejaculation. It can pass to a partner, so BAUS advises washing the area or using a condom, and the BNF notes the manufacturer's advice to avoid it if you're planning to conceive.
• Daily antidepressants such as paroxetine, sertraline, fluoxetine and clomipramine can delay ejaculation, and doctors prescribe them for this off-label. The NHS says you'll usually need to take them for 1 to 2 weeks before you notice the full effects.
• Sildenafil (Viagra) is a medicine for erection problems. The NHS says research has found that it and similar medicines may also help with premature ejaculation, though the EAU says that in the sildenafil studies it reviews the time to ejaculation was not significantly improved.

A 2021 Cochrane review of 31 trials with 8,254 men (seven of the trials tested dapoxetine) found that SSRIs probably improve men's own rating of their symptoms compared with a placebo, and probably cause more side effects too. Every option is compared, with the evidence and safety notes, in how to stop premature ejaculation: every treatment compared. Other pages in this series cover dapoxetine (Priligy) and lidocaine and benzocaine.

What about supplements, drinks and pills sold online?

None of the NHS, BAUS, EAU or BNF guidance used for this page recommends any herbal pill, supplement, food or drink for lasting longer, so if you've searched for what to drink to last longer in bed, the guidelines don't name one. Medicines bought outside a registered pharmacy carry their own risks.

The MHRA, which regulates medicines in the UK, warns that any medicine not authorised for sale here can be unsafe or ineffective. It says the illegal erection pills it seizes may contain no active ingredient, the wrong dose, hidden drugs or toxic ingredients. Its advice is to use only UK-registered pharmacies, including online pharmacies showing the official green cross logo, and to check the registration of an online pharmacy based in Great Britain on the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) website.

The EAU guidelines also list approaches that need more evidence before they can be considered in clinical practice, including acupuncture, yoga and electrical nerve stimulation.

When should you see a GP?

See a GP if finishing too soon keeps happening and it's a problem for you or your partner. The NHS says your GP will discuss it with you and may examine you or refer you to a specialist, and BAUS says most men can be managed by their GP without needing to see a urologist.

BAUS says your GP will ask about your lifestyle, such as work pressures, smoking, alcohol and drugs, take a sexual history and may give you a short questionnaire; specific tests usually aren't needed. A sexual health clinic is another option: the NHS says they're free and confidential, and they treat problems with sexual health. You can find one with the NHS sexual health clinic finder.

See a GP too if you notice blood in your semen, which the NHS says is usually not serious but should be checked. If you take sildenafil, the NHS says to call 999 if you think you're having anaphylaxis (a serious allergic reaction), a heart attack or a seizure, and to call NHS 111 for other serious side effects, such as a painful erection lasting longer than 4 hours.