I think I suffer from premature ejaculation, but I’m not sure. How long is it normal to last in bed?

Thanks to movies, porn, and general word of mouth, men have a pretty skewed perception of sex. If you were to ask a normal man what a normal lovemaking session should be like, he might tell you that it should last between 30 minutes to an hour, consist of multiple positions, and most of it should be accomplished while standing. How a man approaches sex is a totally different, and deeply personal, thing; same goes for how long a man can last between the sheets. While outside factors paint sex as a wild frolic that lasts for hours, many men find sex to last closer to the minutes or seconds categories. As it seems as though there is no uniform “sex time,” many men find themselves wondering: Just how long is it normal to last in bed?

Don’t let porn or blockbuster movies fool you; in real life, sex is typically a much shorter affair. But because outside factors convince men that sex is meant to last for long periods of time, this leads to many men wondering if they suffer from premature ejaculation. After all, men reason, if the man in this movie can last for an hour, but I reach my breaking point in less than five minutes, surely there must be something wrong with me?

The truth is quite the opposite; men who last for hours are definitely the exception rather than the rule. According to research, most men will reach orgasm within 3 to 5 minutes of penetration. But that’s not to say a man isn’t “normal” if he doesn’t fall within this timeline; sex is different for everyone, so time to orgasm is going to vary from man to man.

However, men that struggle to last between the sheets might very well be dealing with premature ejaculation. According to research, the most commonly used definition of premature ejaculation is reaching orgasm within one to two minutes of penetration.

If you regularly struggle to last longer than two minutes in the bedroom, there is a possibility you are dealing with premature ejaculation. Talk to your doctor, explore ways to get around this issue, and you should be able to get your sex life back on track. But don’t be surprised if those one to two minutes only jump to three to five minutes; after all, that’s normal!