Erotophobia, or marked and excessive fear of sexual intimacy, associated with avoidance, or endurance with intense fear or anxiety, affects the sexual well-being of couples, often leading to unconsummated marriages. We studied the case of a 24-year-old Indian woman who had presented with fear and avoidance of sexual intimacy for the last three years, since marriage. She demonstrated significant intrapsychic conflict between a desire for motherhood and aversion to and fear of injury by sexual intercourse. She was also investigated for delayed menstrual cycles, reduced vaginal secretions, and galactorrhoea, and found to have hyperprolactinemia and pituitary microadenoma. She improved significantly with sertraline, cabergoline, and systematic desensitization, and went on to conceive spontaneously. This case series demonstrated the good prognosis with a thorough investigation and treatment, and highlights the importance of raising awareness and addressing shame and stigma, so as to ensure that affected couples receive the care that they need.
Basu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.