Erotophobia

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Erotophobia is a term to describe a fear or aversion to sex or related matters. It was coined by a number of researchers in the late 1970s and early 1980s to describe one pole on a continuum of attitudes and beliefs about sexuality. The word is derived from the name of Eros, the Greek god of erotic love, and Phobos (φόβος), the god of fear. The model of the continuum is a basic polarized line, with erotophobia (fear of sex or negative attitudes about sex) at one end and erotophilia (positive feelings or attitudes about sex) at the other end. [1]

Contents

Types

Erotophobia has many manifestations. An individual or culture can have one or multiple erotophobic attitudes. Some types of erotophobia include fear of nudity, fear of sexual images, negative attitudes towards homosexuality, negative attitudes towards people with STIs, fear of sex education, fear of sexual discourse. [2] [3]

Clinical significance

As a clinical phobia, "erotophobia" describes an irrational and potentially debilitating fear of some object, person or act that is related to sex. This fear either impairs a person's desire or ability to have sexual relationships, or completely prevents a person's ability to have sex. Erotophobia can also in some (but not all) individual cases, be a part of larger patterns of any of the following psychological problems— social phobia, avoidant personality disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, or general social anxiety problems. Erotophobia can also, for others, be very specific to love making with another person and not be related to any of these other social anxiety disorders. In the case of specific erotophobia, only the fear of something related to sex would be present without any other fears or syndromes.

Psychological studies

In psychological studies, the term is often used to describe degree of (general) sexual aversion versus (general) interest in sex. In this sense erotophobia is descriptive of one's place in a range on a continuum of sexual feeling or aversion to feeling. Erotophobes score high on one end of the scale that is characterized by expressions of guilt and fear about sex. Psychologists sometimes attempt to describe sexuality on a personality scale. Erotophobes are less likely to talk about sex, have more negative reactions to sexually explicit material, and have sex less frequently and with fewer partners over time. In contrast, erotophiles score high on the opposite end of the scale, erotophilia, which is characterized by expressing less guilt about sex, talking about sex more openly, and holding more positive attitudes toward sexually explicit material. [4]

The continuum of attitudes between Erotophilia and Eurotophobia has been used to assess attitudes to sex and sexuality. Research on this continuum has shown a correlation between high erotophobia scores and less willingness to use condoms (but not necessarily other contraceptive methods), and less knowledge of topics relating to sex. [3]

It is also important because erotophobia has been shown to create relationship and marital difficulties in multiple studies, dating back to Kinsey. [5]

Political use

In his book The Politics of Lust , author and sexual activist John Ince examines three distinct cause and effect forces that fuel erotophobia: "antisexualism", the irrational negative response to harmless sexual expression; "nasty sex", which includes rape and violent pornography; and "rigidity", the inability to enjoy "playful and spontaneous" sex. Ince also argues that social inequality and politics are interlinked with erotophobia and that overcoming erotophobia is one of the first steps to a truly democratic society. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

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A phobia is an anxiety disorder, defined by an irrational, unrealistic, persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. Phobias typically result in a rapid onset of fear and are usually present for more than six months. Those affected go to great lengths to avoid the situation or object, to a degree greater than the actual danger posed. If the object or situation cannot be avoided, they experience significant distress. Other symptoms can include fainting, which may occur in blood or injury phobia, and panic attacks, often found in agoraphobia and emetophobia. Around 75% of those with phobias have multiple phobias.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinsey scale</span> Scale for measuring sexual orientation

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Erotophilia is a personality trait which assesses an individual's disposition to respond to sexual cues in either a positive or negative manner; it is measured on a continuous scale, ranging from erotophobia to erotophilia.

Gymnophobia is a fear (phobia) of or prejudice against nudity.

Spotligectophobia, scopophobia, scoptophobia or ophthalmophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an excessive fear of being stared at in public or stared at by others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social anxiety disorder</span> Anxiety disorder associated with social situations

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Phallophobia in its narrower sense is a fear of the penis and in a broader sense an excessive aversion to masculinity.

Eurotophobia is the aversion to, fear of, or dislike of female genitalia.. Eurotophobia originates from the Greek eurṓs, meaning "vulva," combined with phobia, meaning "fear" or "aversion."

Sexual guilt is a negative emotional response associated with the feeling of anxiety, guilt, or shame in relation to sexual activity. Also known as sexual shame, it is linked with the negative social stigma and cultural expectations that are held towards sex as well as the historical religious opposition of all "immoral" sexual acts. It originates from the negative pressures exerted upon individuals during the course of their lives due to parental and religious teachings concerning sexual activity and expression. Participation in sexual intercourse does not need to occur in order for an individual to experience sexual guilt, however, as self-pleasure and the sexual activities of other people can also induce this feeling. Furthermore, a person who feels guilty or otherwise uncomfortable about sex might also experience sexual guilt.

References

  1. ↑ Fischer, W.A.; Byrne, White & Kelley (1988). "Eroophobia-erotophilia as a dimension of personality". Journal of Sex Research. 25: 123–151. doi:10.1080/00224498809551448.
  2. ↑ John Ince "The Politics of Lust" (2005 edition ISBN   1-59102-278-9; 2003 edition ISBN   0-9696567-1-8)
  3. 1 2 "The valence of sex:Automatic affective associations in erotophilia and erotophobia". National Library of Medicine. Oct 2011. pp. Section 1.2.
  4. ↑ Durant, L. E.; Carey, M. P.; Schroder, K. E. (October 2002). "Effects of anonymity, gender, and erotophilia on the quality of data obtained from self-reports of socially sensitive behaviors". J Behav Med. 25 (5): 438–67. doi:10.1023/a:1020419023766. PMC   2430657 . PMID   12442560.
  5. ↑ Kinsey, Alfred (1948). Sexual Behavior in the Human Male. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders & Company.
  6. ↑ "Pivotalpress.com". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
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