Am I Normal? Unusual Sexual Conditions to Watch Out For

There’s a wide range of things considered “normal” within the bounds of sexual health. However, this doesn’t stop you from worrying about your wellbeing, and whether or not you’re sexually “normal”. Plus, there can be a big stigma associated with talking about sex, so you can’t always compare notes with your friends. That said, there are some unusual conditions to watch out for, so take a look at our list – embarrassment free.

 

1. Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD): According to health and wellness expert Shanna Freeman, former Senior Editor at HowStuffWorks, ‘People with persistent genital arousal disorder, or PGAD, are constantly in a state of sexual arousal. Actual symptoms of PGAD can vary. Women often experience the physical signs of arousal, including engorgement in their genitals, without even thinking about sex. They can also have such sensitive genital areas that driving or wearing certain types of clothing can cause arousal.’ Some doctors refer to PGAD when talking about women, and priapism (see below) when discussing similar symptoms in men. However, many wellness experts do not believe in making a distinction between genders. Although some people just live with the condition, there has been some success with medication such as antidepressants or Chantix (initially used to curb nicotine addiction).

 

2. Priapism: There is one basic symptom to watch out for with this sexual health condition; a painful engorgement of your erectile tissues that lasts for more than four hours. Freeman explains that priapism ‘occurs when blood becomes trapped in the genital area and does not circulate back into the rest of the body. While women can have priapism, it’s more common in men, and men and women require different treatments for the condition.’ Given the large amount of blood trapped in the genitals, men need immediate medical attention. If left untreated, priapism can cause vessel damage, scarring, a loss of function or even gangrene. The earlier you seek attention, the better your chances of a full recovery. For women, ice packs and anti-inflammatory medications can usually relieve your tenderness and swelling.

 

3. Hypersexuality: This sexual health condition is actually classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). ‘People with this diagnosis also have lowered sexual inhibitions and are generally obsessed with sex to the point that their lives are deeply affected,’ says Freeman. ‘People with hypersexuality often engage in risky sexual behaviours, like sex with prostitutes and unprotected sex with numerous strangers, which can put them at risk for sexually transmitted infections. Those who are in monogamous relationships may not be able to be faithful to their partners. In extreme cases, hypersexual people may be sexually abusive to others.’ The treatments for this condition vary, but your doctor may prescribe mood-stabilising drugs, talk therapy or drugs that reduce your testosterone levels.

 

4. Sexsomnia: Put simply, people with sexsomnia have sex while they’re asleep – usually with no idea about it until confronted by evidence or by another person. Freeman notes, ‘Behaviours may range from masturbation to having sexual intercourse while sleeping. Sexsomniacs have been known to sleepwalk from their homes and have sex with strangers. There have even been cases in which a person with sexsomnia committed a sexual assault or rape while asleep.’ In order to treat sexsomnia effectively, your doctor will need to determine the underlying cause. If sleep apnoea is the culprit, treating sexsomnia can be as simple as using a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine to treat sleep apnoea. Anti-anxiety drugs have also been found to be effective in treating sexsomnia.

Categories: arousal disorder, genital arousal, health condition, Hypersexuality, people, persistent genital, priapism, sexsomnia, sexual, sexual health, Sleep apnoea, treating sexsomnia

Could Constant Arousal be a Hidden Symptom of Rabies?

When it comes to sexual health problems, you’d probably think those to do with arousal would tend towards the lack thereof, rather than too much. However, this was not the case with a 28-year-old woman in India, who recently came to her doctor with the unusual complaint of a sudden and persistent increase in her sex drive. Her wellness was affected by constant arousal, often with no stimulation at all. The woman was referred to the department of emergency medicine at the Sri Gokulam Hospital and Research Institute in Salem, Tamil Nadu. Four days later, however, she was dead.

What disease could affect your wellbeing with distressing sexual symptoms, and then progress to death in less than a week? The answer is a virus that has practically been eliminated in this country but still threatens the health of many in the developing world; rabies. Although the first symptom associated with rabies is a fear of water (which actually a sign that the virus has paralyzed your swallowing muscles), hypersexuality is occasionally the primary symptom in some cases of the disease. The virus inflames the brain, causing hypersexuality and, when this happens, the disease has reached the point whereby it is incurable.

The researchers, who published the woman’s case in the journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour, noted that a small bite from a puppy two months earlier caused the disease, and the woman was dead two months later. According to Peter Costa, the communications director for the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, who was not involved in the Indian woman’s case, ‘Often people will say, “Well, if I have any symptoms I’ll go to the doctor,”’ but this is often too late. ‘If you’ve been bitten or suspect you’ve been licked or scratched by an infected animal, you should seek treatment within 24 hours,’ Costa notes.

While vaccination programmes have made staving off rabies almost a certainty in this country, Costa points out that between 55,000 and 70,000 people around the world die of rabies each year – that’s someone every eight minutes. More often than not, deaths occur in children under the age of 15 and in areas where there is a lack of public health resources and preventive treatment such as vaccinations. The main culprit behind the transmission of the disease is our furry little friends. Costa says, ‘The dog is responsible for more than 99% of human rabies cases.’ However, before you throw out your pets, Costa explains that in many cases in the developing world, the dogs aren’t family pets but strays or semi-strays that hang around communities.

In fact, the focus of the Global Alliance for Rabies Control is on promoting vaccination for domesticated and semi-domesticated animals, including semi-feral dogs. Costa asserts that cases of human rabies plummet when 70% of dogs in a country are vaccinated. However, Costa also believes that education is a key component in stamping out the spread of rabies for good. Had the Indian woman sought medical attention as soon as she was bitten, early treatment could have saved her life. Costa advises, ‘If you’ve been bitten, wash the wound with soap and water for about 10 minutes and then seek appropriate medical treatment.’ Costa adds that cases like the Indian woman’s are also a reminder of why mandatory vaccines for pets are so important. ‘The public health system in the United States and Europe has done just a tremendous job, to the point where I think people forget why we vaccinate our animals,’ he says. ‘Rabies is just outside the front door.’

Categories: constant arousal, costa, developing world, Dogs, global alliance, human rabies, Hypersexuality, indian woman, public health, Rabies, rabies control