Little-known ‘Koro’ sex disorder is extremely rare but sounds absolutely terrifying
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, Mental Health
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photo
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, Mental Health
There's a little known sex disorder that, although rare, sounds pretty horrifying to experience.
The psychiatric condition is characterised by a person having intense fear and anxiety over their genitals - and it can be life-altering for those suffering from the illness.
It's called Koro - also referred to as GRS - and it's typically a condition in which people fear their penis, vagina, or breasts are shrinking and retracting into the abdomen, which they believe could cause immediate death.
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It's characterised by sufferers excessively checking their bodies to make sure it's not happening, or attaching objects to try and stop retraction from occurring.
It's important to note that in Koro, the genitals don't actually retract, but the person experiencing the condition feels as though they are, or are about to.
A paper published in the Health Psychology Research journal explained that the condition can also be associated with severe anxiety attacks and a fear of death.
"Koro syndrome is a multi-tiered disease presenting as an overwhelming belief that one’s sex organs are shrinking into their body," the paper reads.
"Moderate to severe anxiety attacks are associated with the condition, along with a fear of imminent death.
"Koro is often culturally related and is most seen as an epidemic form in East and Southeast Asia, although it can present anywhere worldwide in its sporadic form. The condition typically affects young males who believe in sex-related myths, and many individuals can co-present with anxiety, depression, or even psychosis."
The paper explains how there are 'two classifications' of Koro, culture-related and sporadic.
"Sporadic Koro - also known as Koro-like syndrome - does not have a cultural tie, and symptoms (genital shrinking without belief of resultant death) are usually secondary to schizophrenia, affective or medical disorders, and even recreational drug use," it reads.
The condition is generally diagnosed after a number of criteria have been met.
These include feeling as though the genitals are retracting (this can also include the breasts) despite any evidence of this actually happening; a fear of death as a result of the genitals retracting; and anxiety related to this fear.
Some with the condition may also have tried to prevent retraction using objects or devices.
The condition tends to disproportionately affect men more than women, and is most commonly seen in those under 30.
However, despite this, it still remains a rare illness around the world.