It's Been Two Years and Still We Haven't Consummated the Marriage!

March 16, 2010

Question

Dear Dr Love,

  My husband and I have been married for about 2 years and we have yet to consummate our marriage because it seems he suffers from premature ejaculation. I am increasingly frustrated and he is still not seeking treatment. What should I do?   Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer
This is a very touchy situation. You say that you haven't been able to consummate your marriage because he suffers from premature ejaculation. I'm assuming you mean that he ejaculates before he enters you.   The fact that he isn't seeking treatment can mean two things: 1) He may be embarrassed to admit his problem and ashamed to seek help; 2) Or there may be underlying emotional factors that explain why he won't seek help to resolve the problem. In other words, he may be comfortable with not having intercourse because of various unconscious fears and conflicts. Many people are afraid of becoming close to another person. There are all kinds of fears associated with closeness such as the fear of loving and losing through death or abandonmentAbandonment is a legal term describing the failure of a non-custodial parent to provide support to his or her children according to the terms approved by a court of law. In common use, abandonment...(Click for full definition.). There is also a terror of merger itself. If a man was raised by a very controllingExamples of controlling behavior include within an intimate relationship include: one partner isolating the other from his/her friends or family; not letting ythe partner go out of the house, to the...(Click for full definition.), dominating, smothering mother, there is often terror at the idea of getting to close to a woman for fear that she will devour him emotionally and psychologically. One way to keep distance is to literally not merge on a physical level.   How can we determine which of the two possibilities is going on? Keep in mind that your husband is very emotionally fragile. So when you talk to him, be very gentle. No accusations, no pressure. Just talk to him in a loving way and say you want to understand where he's coming from (no pun intended!!!!)   Ask him if he's comfortable with the lack of intercourse. Let's see what he says. If he says he is not comfortable, then you might ask why "we" (we is more neutral and less accusatory language) aren't doing anything to resolve the problem. Ask him if he feels ashamed to ask for help. If he says yes, tell him that you work together to solve this. He's not alone. Tell him that millions of men have this issue. For many men it's simply a matter of learning how to teach the body to delay orgasm. It's a skill that can be learned like any other. I also want to tell you both that you can find articles in my archives that explain how you can fix this problem at home by practicing two techniques (the Stop-Start and Squeeze techniques). Above all, make this a fun and  low-key process.
If he says he's comfortable with the lack of intercourse, then I would gently begin to explore why he's all right with it. You can begin to explore the possible fears and see if he bites. Talking is the main way to work through the fears.  

Let me know how you make out. I'm interested to hear about your progress. 

- Doctor Love


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