Also known as erotophobia, genophobia is a condition where a person has irrational fear of sexual intimacy or sex, which is more than just simple aversion or dislike and is actually a full blown panic with just the thought of sex.(1, 2) The person experiences acute panic or fear when sexual intimacy is tried on them and in some cases, just thinking about sex causes these panicky feelings.
Other phobias which are linked with genophobia and can develop alongside genophobia are :(2)
Heterophobia: This is acute fear of heterosexual individuals.
Nosophobia: This is an extreme fear of getting any particular disease.
Tocophobia: This is extreme fear of childbirth or pregnancy.
Haphephobia: This is an irrational fear of touching others and getting touched as well.
Gymnophobia: This is an extreme fear of nudity.
What are the Causes of Genophobia?
The exact cause of any phobia is not clear. According to a research from 2016, it was found that genophobia is caused mostly by a past trauma.(3) If the cause is identified, then treating the cause is important. Some of the causes of genophobia consist of emotional or physical issues such as :(2)
Erectile Dysfunction: This is a condition where there is difficulty in achieving and sustaining an erection during sex. This condition can be treated and causes feelings of shame, embarrassment or stress. Anyone having ED is unwilling to share this with others and this can also cause them to fear sex or sexual intimacy.
Vaginismus: This condition is where vaginal muscles get tightened involuntarily when penetration during sex is attempted resulting in painful intercourse and sometimes making it impossible to have sex. Vaginismus also disrupts with inserting a tampon during menstruation. Suffering from consistent and severe pain can lead to genophobia.
Past Sexual Abuse or PTSD: Sexual abuse or child abuse can cause post-traumatic stress disorder and it can hamper the way a person perceives sex or intimacy and can also interfere with sexual functioning.
Fear of Sexual Performance: There are some individuals who are nervous about their “performance” in bed leading to acute psychological discomfort resulting in avoidance of sexual intimacy for fear of poor performance.
Body Dysmorphia: Feeling ashamed of one’s body along with being overly self-conscious about their body can cause negative impact on sexual satisfaction causing fear and anxiety. There are some people suffering from acute body dysmorphia or shame where they perceive their body as flawed; however, and this causes one to be scared of or to avoid sexual intimacy altogether.
What are the Symptoms of Genophobia?
Phobias are more than a just a simple fear where the person suffering from this condition has a severe reaction to something, which exceeds just simple fear or dislike of anything. Phobias mean experiencing acute anxiety or fear where the person experiences severe psychological and physical reaction, which disrupts the normal functioning and interferes with daily quality of life. Any phobia can be triggered by a particular situation or event which is feared by the person.
Some of the common phobic symptoms or reactions are :(2)
- A person suffering from any phobia can understand that this is fear is extreme and not viable; however, they are not able to control or reduce it.
- A sudden feeling of anxiety, fear and panic when faced upon the source of the phobia or even thinking about it, in case of genophobia, sexual encounter or sex.
- The symptoms worsen if the source or the trigger isn’t removed.
- The person avoids the situation as much as possible as it can cause undue fearful reaction.
- The person experiences dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing, sweating or palpitations when exposed to the source or trigger.
What is the Treatment of Genophobia?
If the cause is a physical component, such as vaginismus, then treatment can be done accordingly. If it is not treated, then it can cause avoidance or fear of sexual intercourse. Upon identification of the physical cause, treatment is done according to the specific issue along with treating any emotional issues.
Psychotherapy is one of the important treatment courses for phobias and different types of psychotherapy are beneficial for phobias, such as exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. A sex therapist also helps in addressing genophobia and where the therapist helps in addressing the various problems in the individual sessions depending on the underlying cause of the phobia.
When Should One Consult a Doctor?
The primary difference between phobia and mild fear is that a phobia is extreme in nature along with having a negative impact on a person’s life and also affects in other ways. Genophobia or fear of sex greatly disrupts with development of romantic relationships and causes increased feelings of depression and isolation. Treatment of phobias can be done with medication and therapy.
Physical exam helps in finding the physical component, which is causing fear of sex and how to treat it. If any physical cause is ruled out, then the cause is psychological and the patient is then referred to therapists who specialize in treatment of phobias.
Conclusion
Phobias are treatable including genophobia. Treatment depends on the cause and consists of medications and counseling and other forms of therapy. Patient should seek help, so they enjoy their sexual life to maximum.
