The International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) defines premature ejaculation (PE) as a male sexual-dysfunction in which ejaculation always or nearly always occurs prior to or within about one minute of vaginal penetration, there is a consistent inability to delay ejaculation, and the condition causes significant personal distress or interpersonal difficulty.
While timing is important, control and satisfaction matter just as much: PE is less about the stopwatch and more about whether ejaculation happens sooner than desired, whether the individual can voluntarily delay it, and whether the experience creates anxiety or avoidance of intimacy.
In Canada, prevalence estimates vary but one widely cited survey by the Canadian Male Sexual Health Council found that complaints of premature ejaculation were quite common among men.