How does age affect ejaculation latency and sexual function in men?

1. What the large stopwatch studies say: shorter IELT with older age

A multinational stopwatch study of about 500 couples reported a clear age-associated drop in median IELT — 6.5 minutes for 18–30 year‑olds versus 4.3 minutes for men older than 51 — and large between‑country variance (e.g., Turkey 3.7 min, UK 7.6 min) ^{[1] [4]}. Meta‑analyses and follow‑ups use that 5.4‑minute overall median as a benchmark for “population” IELT ^[5].

2. Why measurements differ: method, sample and context matter

IELT is measured with stopwatches during penile‑vaginal intercourse and is positively skewed; distributions and medians vary by country, penile sensitivity, sexual activity frequency and whether latency is self‑reported or objectively timed ^{[1] [5] [6]}. Studies of masturbation, lab tasks and intercourse show different median times, so age effects can look different depending on measurement context ^[7].

3. Older men: more delayed ejaculation and anorgasmia alongside mixed PE trends

While IELT tends to shorten with age in general population stopwatch data, clinically significant delayed ejaculation and failure to reach orgasm increase with age and poor health: population surveys (NSHAP, EMAS) and reviews report higher rates of delayed ejaculation and “not reaching orgasm” in older cohorts, often linked more strongly to health status than chronological age alone ^{[3] [2]}. At the same time, the relationship between age and premature ejaculation (PE) is complex: physiological loss of sensitivity may reduce lifelong PE symptoms but acquired PE linked to comorbidity can rise with age, canceling simple age patterns ^[8].

4. Mechanisms offered by researchers: nerves, hormones and comorbid disease

Authors cite age‑related declines in fast‑conducting peripheral sensory nerves, reductions in sex steroid secretion, lower ejaculate volume and sensory/neural/autonomic changes as contributing factors to longer latencies, weaker orgasmic sensation, or both types of disorder (short and long latencies) depending on the man’s baseline and health profile ^{[2] [9] [10]}.

5. Health and medication — the stronger drivers than age alone

Large studies and reviews emphasize that physical health, comorbid disease and medications often explain sexual dysfunction better than age itself: erectile dysfunction, cardiovascular disease, thyroid status and drugs (including SSRIs) shift ejaculatory timing in opposite directions — SSRIs prolong IELT, for instance — so age effects are entangled with these influences ^{[3] [5] [11]}.

6. Clinical thresholds and why ‘normal’ is wide

Clinical workgroups and epidemiologists note no single “normal” IELT: population median ~5.4 minutes, with substantial tails (e.g., 14% under ≈3:20, 26% over 10:00) and arbitrary clinical cutoffs for disorders. Delayed ejaculation is often considered when ejaculation exceeds ~25–30 minutes, but diagnostic practice mixes time, perceived control and distress ^{[5] [3] [2]}.

7. Practical takeaways for patients and clinicians

Expect variation: many men experience shorter partner‑sex IELTs with age on average, yet older men also report more difficulty reaching orgasm or complete anejaculation if health or neural function decline ^{[1] [2]}. Clinicians should assess health, medications, erectile function and hormonal status rather than assuming age alone explains ejaculatory changes ^{[3] [10]}.

8. Limitations in the reporting and open questions

Available sources document national differences, measurement bias (stopwatch effects), and mixed findings across sexual contexts; they caution that PE, DE and IELT interact in complex ways and that more large, representative, methodologically consistent studies are needed to parse lifelong versus acquired patterns ^{[5] [8] [7]}.

If you want, I can summarize what a clinician would typically assess (tests, medication review, when to refer to urology or sexual medicine) or draft questions to bring to your doctor, citing the same sources.