Worried about your sexual stamina? You’re not alone. Medical study data shows that premature ejaculation is one of the most common sexual performance complaints for men, with up to 39 percent of men stating that they ejaculate earlier than they’d like to during sexual activity.
Even for men who don’t meet the clinical definition of premature ejaculation, it’s quite common to want to improve your sexual stamina and last longer in bed.
Today, a variety of treatments are available for premature ejaculation, ranging from sprays like lidocaine-based premature ejaculation spray to techniques like the stop-start strategy, the squeeze technique and masturbating before sex.
Then, there’s Viagra. Although it’s designed and marketed primarily as a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), many men believe that Viagra can make it easier to last longer in bed.
Below, we’ve looked into the evidence for and against sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra) as a treatment for boosting sexual stamina and lasting longer in bed. We’ve also listed a range of real, science-backed options for improving your sexual stamina and performance.
Sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, works by increasing the ability of blood to flow into the soft, erectile tissue of your penis. This makes it easier for you to get and keep an erection. It can also give you a firmer erection that improves the sexual experience for your and your partner.
Viagra is not an effective treatment for premature ejaculation, meaning it usually won’t have any effect on the amount of time for which you can have sex before you ejaculate, the amount of sensitivity you experience during sex or when you orgasm and ejaculate.
Despite this, there are a few interesting studies about Viagra’s effects on premature ejaculation that are worth mentioning:
While these are interesting studies, they’re not enough to call Viagra a proven treatment option for increasing the amount of time you can last in bed. If you notice any results, it’s best to think of them as a bonus, not as a primary effect of sildenafil.
However, there is one situation in which Viagra can definitely help you last longer in bed. If you tend to lose your erection during sex and need to stop because you’re no longer hard, Viagra’s effects could help you have sex for longer without being affected by erectile dysfunction.
Like many other popular medications, Viagra’s effects are often exaggerated and misunderstood by people who haven’t used the medication. Media reports on Viagra, which often present it as a “fix anything” sex drug, have helped to spread these misconceptions.
In addition to having little to no significant effects on the amount of time you can last before you climax and ejaculate, Viagra also won’t:
Our guide to what Viagra does to your sexual experience goes into more detail on these myths, as well as the actual type of experience you can expect from using Viagra.
Viagra’s primary benefit is well known — it makes it easier for you to develop an erection and maintain it during sexual activity.
However, it also has several secondary benefits that can improve your sexual experience and, in some cases, boost your sexual performance. By using Viagra, you could:
Related Post: Is Viagra Over The Counter?
While Viagra isn’t likely to directly help you last longer in bed (unless you frequently lose your erection during sex), it’s still worth considering if you’re prone to erectile dysfunction.
Luckily, there are several proven, science-backed treatments available that can help you delay ejaculation and last longer in bed. We’ve listed these below, along with the scientific study data to back up each option.
Premature ejaculations sprays use substances like lidocaine to reduce the sensitivity of certain parts of your penis, all without making them feel overly numb. This helps give you more control over how and when you ejaculate, allowing you to last longer in bed.
Studies show that lidocaine-based sprays are extremely effective as treatments for premature ejaculation. In a 2003 study, men with PE were able to increase their ejaculation latency from 74 seconds to 11 minutes and 21 seconds after applying a lidocaine-based spray.
You can learn more about how these sprays work in our guide to lidocaine sprays for treating premature ejaculation.
Our premature ejaculation spray is designed for application five to 10 minutes before you have sex, making it easy to use before you get into bed with your partner. It absorbs quickly and only affects the parts of your penis to which it’s applied, meaning you won’t lose any enjoyment.
SSRIs, such as sertraline, were originally developed as treatments for depression and other psychiatric disorders. However, certain SSRIs are also effective at prolonging sexual activity before orgasm and treating premature ejaculation.
In a 2007 study, researchers found that men with premature ejaculation who used paroxetine, fluoxetine or escitalopram experienced reduced levels of premature ejaculation symptoms and an improvement in sexual performance.
Today, sertraline (the active ingredient in Zoloft) is one of several SSRIs used to treat PE and improve sexual performance. Our Sertraline 101 guide covers this in more detail, with data on sertraline’s effects and benefits as a PE treatment.
Beyond medications such as lidocaine and sertraline, there are several ways to increase your time before ejaculation and improve your sexual performance without using drugs.
These include simple techniques like masturbating before sex, which takes advantage of your body’s natural refractory period to make you last longer before ejaculating a second time, plus science-backed techniques like the “stop-start” method.
It’s also often possible to improve your sexual performance through behavioral therapy, which could increase your ejaculation time. Our guide to stopping premature ejaculation covers all of these approaches in more detail, with scientific data to back up each treatment option.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment.