New Spray Product Claims to Prevent Premature Ejaculation

Steve Weinstein READ TIME: 3 MIN.

Premature ejaculation isn't just limited to oversexed schoolboys. The problem afflicts many adult men.

Sure, many spouses may occasionally wish their husbands had the problem (when you've memorized every single paint swish on the ceiling, you know you've got a problem). But there are many who suffer from the old "Open up, Bridgett, I'm comin' in!" school of "wham, bam, thank you, ma'am." The old reliable Jack Rabbit may finish the job, but it's somehow just more ... mechanical.

The fact is, while some men suffer form premature ejaculation (PE) as a medical condition. many more are victims of society, upbringing, religion or circumstance. It's one thing to do a quick-and-dirty in the back seat of Dad's Ford, but that same sense of rushing it often carries over into married lives. Couples get used to cramming on in between Baby's feeding, Junior's softball practice and Sis' asking where her comb is.

As in all things sexual, Alfred Kinsey has provided us with the best set of statistics. He showed that three-quarers of the men he studied ejaculated within two minutes of penetration. Latinos and South Asian Indians have a higher rate of PE. The theory is that these men come from larger households, where private time is parsed out in small doses. Also, many men in these cultures continue to live in extended family units (which means it not only had better be quick, but quiet, too).

PE, defined as a man ejaculating in 60 seconds or earlier, apparently affects more men than erectile dysfunction, by 30 percent. There are a few drugs on the market, but these require a prescription and are all oral. They act on the brain's receptors to delay ejaculation.

There are some creams but these act as desensitizers. And who wants to be desensitized when you're about to perform the most sensory experience a human being can experience?

After urologist Ron Gilbert happened on some material detailing the good results of lidocaine-based creams. But these were oily, messy, inexact dosing and couldn't be absorbed below the skin. Through what he calls a "melting-point depression" process, he developed Promescent, an over-the-counter spray cream.

Available in drugstores, Promescent is a small bottle containing 2.5 fluid ounces. The amount each man needs ranges from three to 10 sprays. One bottle should last for quite a while. If not, thank your lucky stars!

Promescent itself is non-sticky, white and watery -- a bit like watered-down cum. It rubs right in, and, although I only tested it only palm, it didn't cause any noticeable sensation, good or bad. Which is good.

The best time to use Promescent is about 10 minutes before sex; up to 20 minutes for more control. It may cause numbness in the user, and possibly in a person performing oral sex, so one should wipe it off or it might 86 your 69.

Otherwise, the stuff is safe. It won't stain the sheets, and its effects won't transfer to your partner, so you don't have to use a condom (that's longtime partner, thank you!). Of course, it won't protect against any STDs.

While I can't personally vouch for how well the stuff works, it would seem that for $80 (about $2.66 per use), it's well worth a try if you or your partner suffers from PE. You can find out more information or order a bottle (or three!) by going to the website. And then get cracking!


by Steve Weinstein

Steve Weinstein has been a regular correspondent for the International Herald Tribune, the Advocate, the Village Voice and Out. He has been covering the AIDS crisis since the early '80s, when he began his career. He is the author of "The Q Guide to Fire Island" (Alyson, 2007).

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