Genophobia An exaggerated or irrational fear of sex
As the song says,”Let’s talk about sex baby”sexual intercourse is for many one of the true pleasures in life. It is an expression of a special kind of love and it feels good too. However, there are people who suffer with a pathological fear of sexual contact and will do whatever necessary to avoid this. People who suffer with this fear are said to have Genophobia. For these persons the feelings of arousal can lead to a blind panic which will curb any desire to act on this arousal. It is also likely that even if a genophobe engages in intercourse, their fear will ensure that they are unable to complete any intimate contact.
There are many potential causes to this fear. One of the main causes can be a history of a prior sexual assault or sexual abuse. In these cases, the subject sees sex and sexual desire as a bad thing and something to be feared and avoided. When one experiences violence or coercion when it comes to sex this can often lead to a person wanting to deny themselves of sex even at times when it is consensual and mutually desired. Additionally, it is possible that previous medical treatment can have a hand in this fear, when a person experienced and unpleasant or even a perceived humiliating examination from a medical practitioner.
Men who have experienced some form of sexual dysfunction can often have an aversion to sex as they do not feel that they can rely on their body to do what is required sexually. Women who have experienced vaginismus might also want to avoid sex as they fear that the experience will be painful. Like many other phobias there are also people who experience this fear without there being any obvious or recognised causation.
This fear also affects people when thinking about sex, not only when and if they engage in it. These sufferers are likely to be aloof and indifferent about sex as a defence mechanism which will help them to avoid being placed in a position where sexual intercourse is likely to occur. This mechanism can lead to loneliness and depression as the sufferer may avoid any type of relationship in order to avoid the potential of sex.
There are several ways to approach this issue, and if the cause is due to sexual dysfunction or vaginismus for example, these issues would also need treating as part of any psychotherapeutic intervention.
