Premature Ejaculation: New Sprays Give Men More Treatment Options

A couples feet stick out of the sheets at the end of a bed. — After childbirth, both parents have changes in their sexual desires, a new study finds. (Image credit: Couple in bed photo via Shutterstock)

While drugs that help men achieve erections have been around for more than a decade, drugs that help men with premature ejaculation are just starting to hit the market.

One drug, called Promescent, is a spray that contains the anesthetic lidocaine, which reduces sensitivity by numbing the skin, to "allow for longer performance," according to NBC News. The drug is absorbed quickly, so it doens't transfer to the man's partner. It is available over-the-counter.

As many as one third of men may have premature ejaculation at some point in their lives, according to the Mayo Clinic. On average, men take four minutes to ejaculate, but men with premature ejaculation often climax after less than a minute.

Some men who don't have premature ejaculation report using the sprays to prolong performance, NBC News says.

"There is a tremendous recreational component," Jeff Abraham, CEO of Absorption Pharmaceuticals, which makes Promescent, was quoted as saying.

Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.