HomeHealth articlesanxiety disorderWhat Is Genophobia?

Fear of Sex (Genophobia) - Causes, Features, and Management

Verified dataVerified data
0

4 min read

Share

Genophobia or fear of sexual activity can put a damper on one’s sexual life, but it can be successfully treated.

Medically reviewed by

Daniyal Riaz

Published At October 12, 2022
Reviewed AtJanuary 17, 2024

What Is a Specific Phobia?

A specific phobia is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by extreme, irrational fear in response to particular stimuli. Phobias can cause intense distress, and lead affected individuals to avoid people and situations that may trigger their anxieties. The patient may recognize a phobia as irrational and unnecessary about the situation, but they are unable to control their fear response.

What Is Genophobia?

Genophobia is a specific phobia - it refers to the fear of sexual activity. It is also called coitophobia. While it is often also referred to using the term ‘erotophobia,’ genophobia is not the same as erotophobia. Erotophobia is the fear of anything related to sex - this may include the physical, psychological, and emotional components.

Genophobia specifically refers to the fear of physical or sexual activity, sexual intercourse, or being touched sexually. It can cause panic and sexual aversion or avoidance disorder (a type of sexual desire disorder) in response to sexual intimacy with the partner. The person recurrently or persistently avoids almost all types of genital sexual contact.

Genophobia may affect all gender identities but is more likely to occur in women than men. This is partly because specific phobias, in general, are more common among women and partly because sexual dysfunctions are also more common in women than men.

What Phobias May Be Associated With Genophobia?

Often, genophobia may present with other phobias like:

  • A general fear of intimacy and emotional closeness.

  • Fear of letting go or not feeling persistent during sex.

  • Heterophobia- Fear of the opposite gender.

  • Gymnophobia- Fear of nudity (one’s own or another person’s nakedness).

  • Haphephobia- Fear of touch (being touched sexually or touching others).

  • Tocophobia- Fear of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

  • Nosophobia- Fear of becoming ill with a disease or virus.

What Are the Causes of Genophobia?

Determining the specific cause of a phobia is usually quite tricky. This holds for genophobia as well. However, certain factors may contribute to the development of a fear of sexual activity:

  • Past sexual abuse (PTSD).

  • Sexual trauma.

  • Rape and rape trauma syndrome.

  • Pain experienced during the patient’s first sexual encounter.

  • Performance anxiety, especially in those with little sexual experience or prolonged sexual abstinence.

  • Body dysmorphia, negative body image issues, or body shame.

  • Medical conditions that cause sex to be painful, such as endometriosis (growth of the tissue lining of the uterus outside the uterus) and vaginismus (the involuntary clenching up of the vagina during a penetration attempt).

  • Genetic factors.

  • Being a victim of female circumcision ( removing and damaging healthy female genital tissues).

  • Strict upbringing.

  • Cultural and religious beliefs.

  • A response derived early in life from ideas or actions perpetrated by family members.

  • Being a witness to a traumatic incident.

  • Comorbid anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other psychological disorders.

  • Exposure to explicit sexual content or activity during childhood.

  • Relation of sex to spirituality - considering it spiritually unclean.

  • Relation of sex to sexually transmitted diseases (such as HIV - human immunodeficiency virus, or AIDS - acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) and fear of being infected.

  • Erectile dysfunction (difficulty in getting and sustaining an erection) can cause patients to be embarrassed, ashamed, and unwilling to attempt sexual activity, translating to fear over time.

  • Fear of adverse health impacts due to a medical condition such as a heart ailment, even if the physician has cleared the individual for sexual activity.

  • Health Anxiety or Hypochondriasis - An irrational worry of becoming ill.

  • Mysophobia - Fear of getting dirty or contaminated.

  • Cyberchondria - Excessive worry about physical health that manifests as frequent, repeated internet searches for medical information.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Genophobia?

Genophobia may present with symptoms such as:

  • Extreme fear and anxiety at the thought of sexual intimacy.

  • Sexual avoidance.

  • Irritability.

  • Restlessness.

  • Concentration difficulty.

  • Sleep disturbances.

  • Nausea.

  • Diarrhea.

  • Dizziness.

  • Fatigue.

  • Breathing difficulty.

  • Chest tightness.

  • Hot and cold flushes.

  • Sweating.

  • Muscle spasms and tension.

  • Panic attacks.

  • Headaches.

  • Heart palpitations.

  • Lightheadedness.

  • Choking sensation.

  • Feeling sick.

  • Fear of loss of control.

  • Fear of fainting.

  • Fear of dying.

  • Derealization - Sensation of being out of touch with reality.

  • Depersonalization - Sensation of being physically detached from one’s body.

Characteristic behaviors noted in those with genophobia may include:

  • Avoidance of romantic relationships.

  • Avoidance of sex within relationships or even if single.

  • Screaming at one’s partner in emotionally intimate situations.

  • Making excuses to avoid sex.

  • Trying to appear physically undesirable to avoid having sex.

  • Trying to appear unapproachable and cold to avoid having conversations with interested people so that there is no possibility of it leading to sex.

  • Becoming frozen and paralyzed in sexual situations.

What Is the Treatment of Genophobia?

Genophobia can be dealt with personally to some extent, although treatment or therapy is required in most cases.

1. Self-Help -

  • Have a conversation with a trusted person.

  • Read books or join programs that offer resources.

  • Participate in group counseling sessions.

  • Join support groups (online or in-person).

  • Learn relaxation techniques for stress, anxiety, and panic.

  • Join phobia-specific courses.

2. Physician Support -

The physician may provide a variety of services that can help with genophobia:

  • Access to resources for self-help.

  • Training in relaxation techniques.

  • Information about support groups.

  • Advice for counseling services.

  • Treatment for underlying psychological disorders such as fear of sexually transmitted infections or rape trauma syndrome.

  • Treatment of illnesses like vaginismus and endometriosis.

  • Other specific treatments provided may either involve psychotherapy or drug therapy.

  • Psychotherapy and drug therapy may include the following:

3. Psychotherapy -

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) - Cognitive behavioral therapy is a conversation-based therapy that explores how thoughts and beliefs can affect and determine actions. Essentially, it will help identify the cause-and-effect relationship between the genophobia symptoms and the individual’s behavior. It also explores and identifies underlying causes for the behavior and provides direction on shifting perspectives and turning negative thoughts about sex into positive ones. CBT has been known to reduce fear and anxiety associated with genophobia.

  • Exposure Therapy - Exposure therapy involves repeatedly exposing the patient to the stimulus that triggers their behavior - repeated exposure will help them confront their fears head-on and help prevent recurrences.

  • Hypnotherapy - Hypnotherapy is a mind-body intervention that explores previous sexual experiences or events that have led to the development of genophobia. It creates focused attention in the individual and attempts to suggest coping strategies and ideas that will help to deal with the negative sensations associated with sex.

4. Drug Therapy -

  • Anti-anxiety Medications - Benzodiazepines.

  • Antidepressants - Paroxetine, Venlafaxine, Sertraline.

  • Beta-Blockers - Propranolol.

  • Tranquilizers.

Conclusion:

Genophobia can be an uphill battle for sufferers. Sexual fear is not easy to overcome, and the anxiety coupled with the feelings of fear, shame, and embarrassment may result in difficulties with management. However, all phobias are treatable, including genophobia, and all it requires is an understanding of underlying factors and conditions, support, and adequate, suitable treatment. The therapy may be emotionally painful and challenging, but the results will be rewarding.

Source Article IclonSourcesSource Article Arrow
Daniyal Riaz
Daniyal Riaz

Psychologist/ Counselor

Tags:

anxiety disordergenophobia
Community Banner Mobile
By subscribing, I agree to iCliniq's Terms & Privacy Policy.

Source Article ArrowMost popular articles

Do you have a question on

anxiety disorder

Ask a doctor online

*guaranteed answer within 4 hours

Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy