After you ejaculate, your body puts the brakes on. The erection fades, interest often dips, and for a while another erection or ejaculation isn't possible however much you might want one. That recovery window is the refractory period, known in research as post-ejaculation refractory time (PERT).
It's one of the most talked-about parts of male sexual response and one of the least studied. A 2009 review found the evidence base for human refractory time to be remarkably thin, and noted that even the widely repeated claim that it lengthens with age had no published data behind it at the time.1
Much of what is known comes from rats, which show an absolute phase, when erection and ejaculation are blocked, and a relative phase, when a stronger or novel stimulus can override the brakes. Whether men have the same two phases hasn't been examined.1
How long is the refractory period for men?
There isn't a single normal figure. In one study, men without ejaculation problems averaged roughly an hour and three quarters, but individual times varied enormously.
A 2019 study asked 102 men with premature ejaculation and 102 age-matched men without it to log their recovery times over four weeks. The comparison group averaged about 106 minutes, with a very wide spread, while the premature ejaculation group averaged about 330 minutes.2
That study also found longer recovery times with increasing age, the kind of data the 2009 review had said was missing.12 It's one study from one clinic, so treat the numbers as a snapshot rather than a benchmark to measure yourself against.
What controls the refractory period?
Mainly the brain. Dopamine and adrenaline-type signalling are thought to shorten it, while serotonin appears to lengthen it.
The 2009 review described dopaminergic and adrenergic pathways as shortening recovery time and serotonergic pathways as lengthening it. The hormone prolactin, often blamed online, was rejected as a major factor in men, and brain changes such as reduced activity in the amygdala remain only possible contributors.1
The serotonin link has a practical side. Raising brain serotonin with SSRI antidepressants helps delay ejaculation, which is why these drugs are used for premature ejaculation.1 Interestingly, the 2019 study found men with premature ejaculation had longer, not shorter, recovery times, which runs against what many people assume.2
Can you shorten your refractory period?
There's no proven way. Because the mechanisms in men are poorly understood, no treatment has been shown to shorten recovery time reliably.
Research on shortening recovery time in men is at an early stage, whether the approach is a supplement, a technique or a routine.1 Novelty and stronger stimulation can override the relative refractory phase in rats, but that hasn't been tested in men.
If the gap between rounds matters to you and a partner, it's usually easier to change the script than the physiology: sex doesn't have to end when you ejaculate, and there's plenty to do while you recover. Our piece on why the best sex advice is rarely about sex is a good place to start.
Common questions
Does the refractory period get longer with age?
It's widely believed to, and a 2019 study did find longer recovery times in older men.2 The reason isn't clear, because human refractory time has been studied so little.1
Do women have a refractory period?
It hasn't really been studied. A 2009 review found no evidence-based data on a refractory period in women after female ejaculation.1 Many women report being able to have more than one orgasm in a session, but that's a different question.
Is a long refractory period a sign of a problem?
Not on its own, because recovery time varies a lot between men. If it has changed suddenly, or comes with erection problems or low desire, it's worth mentioning to your GP.
Read more on this
Sources
- Levin RJ. Revisiting post-ejaculation refractory time-what we know and what we do not know in males and in females. J Sex Med. 2009;6(9):2376-89. PubMed
- Bhat GS, Shastry A. Association Between Post-Ejaculatory Refractory Time (PERT) and Premature Ejaculation (PE). J Sex Med. 2019;16(9):1364-1370. PubMed
Not medical advice. Written by Eric Stephens from the research cited above; not reviewed by a doctor. If something worries you, see a GP.