Genophobia

A problem faced by large number of women, genophobia, or the psychological fear of sexual intercourse. People with this condition feel intense panic when they attempt sexual contact or even think of it. Psychologists say that one of the main reasons for genophobia is that probably these people have been sexually assaulted in the past. Rape victims may have mental scars from the trauma that they have gone through. Women who have been sexually abused as a kid also suffer from this phobia. These women develop distrust towards sexual contact and hence any kind of physical contact with the opposite sex scares them.

I have been lucky to go to a school where sex education was given, but in India the scene is very different and discussing sex is a complete NO. Sex education is not taught in most schools in the country so kids are all confused regarding sex and hence there is either a misinformation or absolutely no information regarding this subject. There is also a tendency in kids to pick up wrong things regarding sex. During their pre teen days some women develop a very wrong picture about sex. They either think it to be something really filthy or are afraid of the pain.

There are women who suffer from a negative body image which makes them shy away from sex. Causes for Genophobia are hormonal imbalances, dryness of the vagina and pain during penetration. Some women develop an anxiety that they will not be able to satisfy their partners. There are even cases where women have this extreme fear of contracting AIDS or other STDs, which make them, avoid sex.

The psychological condition can be treated with counseling, but for the physical issue you need to visit the gynecologist. The spouse should be understanding and help the women come out from this anxiety. At the same time the man should give some time to the woman to adjust. It is important for the man to know that most women especially Indian women suffer from this problem. It is nothing abnormal. All it requires is a little bit of time, love and care.