On average, it takes a man between 5 to 7 minutes to orgasm and ejaculate during sexual intercourse.
Specifically, a 2005 study of 500 couples from five countries (the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, and the United States) found that the median time from initial penetration to ejaculation during penile-vaginal sex is 5.4 minutes. The use of a condom or circumcision status did not impact the time to ejaculation.
However, it is important to keep in mind that this figure does not account for time spent during foreplay, nor does it consider ejaculation times during sexual activities other than penis-in-vagina sex such as masturbation, oral sex, or anal sex.
In fact, the most commonly used measure of ejaculation time, intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT), is not an appropriate gauge of ejaculation time for men who have sex with men or men who ejaculate during other sexual activities.
What’s more, the overall range of ejaculation times is quite broad, spanning from less than one minute to longer than half an hour.
The definitions of premature ejaculation (PE) and delayed ejaculation (DE) have evolved over the years. As of 2020, the American Urological Association (AUA) and Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA) consider PE as ejaculation that occurs within about 2 min of initiation of penetrative sex that is distressing to a man or his partner.
Conversely, ejaculation that occurs after 22 minutes of penetrative sex would typically be longer than 95 out of 100 men, which could qualify as DE (if it is bothersome to a couple).
No matter how long it takes a man to ejaculate during sex, there are ways to work toward delaying ejaculation or prompting it to occur earlier during sexual intercourse. Talk to your health care provider about options if you have concerns about how long it takes for you to ejaculate.
For more information on this topic, please read these publications from the ISSM Journals: The Journal of Sexual Medicine, Sexual Medicine Reviews, and Sexual Medicine Open Access:
A Multinational Population Survey of Intravaginal Ejaculation Latency Time
Multiple Orgasms in Men—What We Know So Far
References:
Althof, S.E., McMahon, C.G., & Rowland, D.L. (2022). Advances and Missteps in Diagnosing Premature Ejaculation: Analysis and Future Directions. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 19(1), 64-73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2021.10.010
Corty, E.W., & Guardiani, J.M. (2008). Canadian and American sex therapists' perceptions of normal and abnormal ejaculatory latencies: how long should intercourse last?. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5(5), 1251–1256. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.00797.x
Jenkins, L.C., & Mulhall, J.P. (2015). Delayed orgasm and anorgasmia. Fertility and sterility, 104(5), 1082-1088. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.09.029
Shindel, A.W., Althof, S.E., Carrier, S., Chou, R., McMahon, C.G., Mulhall, J.P., Paduch, D.A., Pastuszak, A.W., Rowland, D., Tapscott, A.H., & Sharlip, I.D. (2019). Disorders of ejaculation: an AUA/SMSNA guideline. Linthicum, Maryland: American Urological Association. https://www.auanet.org/guidelines/disororders-of-ejaculation
Waldinger, M.D., Quinn, P., Dilleen, M., Mundayat, R., Schweitzer, D.H., & Boolell, M. (2005). A multinational population survey of intravaginal ejaculation latency time. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2(4), 492–497. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00070.x
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