Genital retraction syndrome (GRS), generally considered a culture-specific syndrome, is a condition in which an individual is overcome with the belief that his/her external genitals—or also, in females, breasts—are retracting into the body, shrinking, or in some male cases, may be imminently removed or disappear. A penis panic is sometimes a mass hysteria event or panic in which males in a population suddenly exhibit symptoms of genital retraction syndrome. The first sufferer is thought to have been Graham Williams in 1923. In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-specific syndrome or culture-bound syndrome is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or culture. ... For other uses, see Belief (disambiguation). ... A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, narrowly defined, is any of those parts of the body (which are not always bodily organs according to the strict definition) which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in an complex organism; namely: Male: penis (notably the glans penis... A pregnant womans breasts. ... In ancient civilizations, removal of the human penis was sometimes used as a means of demonstrating superiority: armies were sometimes known to sever the penises of their enemies to count the dead, as well as for trophies, although usually only the foreskins were taken[1]. The practice of castration (removal... Mass hysteria, or collective hysteria, is the sociopsychological phenomenon of the manifestation of the same hysterical symptoms by more than one person. ... Panic is the primal urge to run and hide in the face of imminent disaster. ...

Penis panics have occurred around the world, most notably in Africa and Asia. Local beliefs in many instances assert that such syndromes are often fatal. Genital retraction syndrome in Southeast Asia is known as Koro (Malaysian/Indonesian), which apparently comes from a Chinese term Shook yang (suo yang, 縮陽), although no credible occurrence of such a phenomenon has ever been recorded there. Psychological diagnosis and treatments are under development. It is becoming increasingly clear that these forms of mass hysteria are more common than previously thought. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Mass hysteria, or collective hysteria, is the sociopsychological phenomenon of the manifestation of the same hysterical symptoms by more than one person. ...

The phenomenon is often, but not always, associated with occult belief, such as witchcraft. These panics frequently, but not exclusively, occur in places where access to education—particularly in science and human biology—is limited, or otherwise restricted (for example, when government policies restrict such education). Others have been reported under the influence of drug use. (Compare with castration anxiety.) The word occult comes from the Latin occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to knowledge of the hidden.[1] In the medical sense it is used commonly to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Recreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational rather than medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear. ... Castration anxiety is an idea put forth by Sigmund Freud in his writings on the Oedipus complex; it posits a deep-seated fear or anxiety in boys and men said to originate during the genital stage of sexual development. ...

Europe

European folktales are replete with examples of witches who could steal men's genitals. These penis panics appear to have ended with the Enlightenment. ...

Southeast Asia: Koro

Penis panics in southeast Asia have become known under the term "Koro" (which means "head of the turtle" in Malay). Some anthropologists have referred to Koro as a culture-bound syndrome, but it is phenomenologically related, if not identical, to penis panics in various cultures. Koro most commonly describes the extreme fear that the penis is retracting into the body, including the idea that such retraction will bring about death. It can also refer to beliefs of "genital theft" or some kind of sorcery which has resulted in the loss of the penis. Sometimes the testicles are also believed to be affected. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-specific syndrome or culture-bound syndrome is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or culture. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The testicle (from Latin testis, meaning witness [1], plural testes) is the male generative gland in animals. ...

Koro also tends to reflect a certain xenophobia among some groups, whereby foreigners are often blamed as the ones behind the "attacks".

A condition called "Bang-utot" (or bangungot) matching the description of Koro is a repeated theme in William S. Burroughs' book Naked Lunch. Bangungot, or sudden death of adults during sleep, in the Philippines. ... William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914) - August 2, 1997), more commonly known as William S. Burroughs (pronounced ), was an American novelist, essayist, social critic, painter and spoken word performer. ... Naked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs. ...

Although Koro goes back to ancient times, beliefs have evolved to better suit modernity. Whereas in the past the causes were usually identified as supernatural, e.g. sorcery, a recent Koro episode in Northern Thailand placed the blame on Vietnamese Communist agents who supposedly put chemicals in the water supply.^{[citation needed]}

Sufferers may resort to extreme physical measures to prevent the believed retraction of the penis. As well as affecting individuals, Koro-like syndromes can often occur in an outbreak of mass hysteria.

Koro most commonly strikes men, but rare cases are known to involve women and the fear that either their external genitals or nipples are retracting into the body. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Typical human female nipple and areola. ...

Aside from the emotional distress, Koro by itself is not physically harmful, and no actual retraction takes place. Injuries have occurred when stricken men have resorted to apparatus such as needles, hooks, fishing line, and shoe strings, to prevent the disappearance of their penises.

An epidemic struck Singapore in 1967, resulting in thousands of reported cases. Government and medical officials alleviated the outbreak only by a massive campaign to reassure men of the anatomical impossibility of retraction together with a media blackout on the spread of the condition. 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

Koro has been successfully treated with a course of alprazolam and imipramine (which are psychiatric medications, the former used to treat anxiety disorders). Alprazolam is a short-acting drug in the benzodiazepine class used to treat anxiety disorders and as an adjunctive treatment for depression. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Psychopharmacology is the study of the effects of any psychoactive drug that acts upon the mind by affecting brain chemistry. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Sudan

In September 2003, the Middle East Media Research Institute reported a hysteria of "penis-melting cyborg combs" in Khartoum, capital of Sudan. ^[1] 2003 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for September, 2003. ... The Middle East Media Research Institute, or MEMRI for short Middle East press monitoring organization located in Washington, D.C., with branch offices in Jerusalem, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. ... Nickname: Khartoums location in Sudan Coordinates: Government  - Governor Abdul Halim al Mutafi Population (2005)  - Urban Over 1 Million For other uses, see Khartoum (disambiguation). ...

Sudanese victims were made to believe by force of suggestion that their penises would melt away after they shared an electronic (or "cyborg") comb, shook hands, or received a verbal curse. The so-called "penis-melting" has been blamed on Zionists trying to wipe out the Sudanese people by making their men unable to reproduce. A person is deemed to be suggestible if they accept and act on suggestions by others. ... The penis (plural penises, penes) is an external male sexual organ. ... Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as, semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures, and vacuum tubes. ... Shaking with the right hand while delivering a certificate with the left. ... Look up Curse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Zionism is a political movement that supports a homeland for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, where Jewish nationhood is thought to have evolved somewhere between 1200 BCE and late Second Temple times,[1][2] and where Jewish kingdoms existed up to the 2nd century CE. Zionism is...

The hysterical reports were spread throughout Sudan by means of cell phone text-messaging. Several mobile phones A mobile telephone or cellular telephone (commonly, mobile phone or cell phone) is a long-range, portable electronic device used for mobile communication. ... “SMS” redirects here. ...

Local media also contributed to the idea's spread. The Sudanese columnist Ja'far Abbas has warned visitors to avoid shaking hands with "a dark-skinned man". In reference to the electronic comb which was supposed to have caused one man's penis to disappear, Abbas writes, "No doubt, this comb was a laser-controlled surgical cyborg that penetrates the skull, [passes] to the lower body and emasculates a man!!"

Sudanese police investigated the claims and have found no evidence of anything supernatural, and that it is likely a hoax which victims believed through the power of suggestion. Mr. Abul-Gasim Mohamed Ibrahim, Sudan's Minister of Health, issued official statements to calm the public's fears.

The phrase "Penis-melting Zionist cyborg combs" has been coined to describe this humorous story. It was originally incorrectly attributed to Wall Street Journal's James Taranto writing in his "Best of the Web Today".^[2] However, a quick perusal of the article in question reveals no such phrase, nor anything similar beyond the words "penis melt". The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with an average daily circulation of 1,800,607 (2002). ...

Medical viewpoints

Documented cases have not typically indicated actual instances of penis shrinkage or retraction. Any actual injury or damage that occurs to individuals usually arises from overly zealous attempts at preventing retraction. Medical response generally consists of informing patients that the genitals anatomically cannot retract or shrink in the manner typically feared.

As one academic work states, GRS seems to be similar in many ways to the Western category of panic attack, with sexual elaborations. It seems probable that, in a culture where sexual anxiety is high and stories exist of death by genital retraction, a man in the right frame of mind could panic at the observation that his genitals are shrinking in response to cold or anxiety. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

See also

• Vagina dentata

Vagina dentata is Latin for toothed vagina. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Area=sd&ID=SP59303#_ednref1
2. ^ http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110004204

External links

• World Health Organization article about Koro, with bibliography
• Suo yang (Koro): The Genital Retraction Syndrome at UCSD
• Koro: A Natural History of Penis Panics, September 16, 2002, Kuro5hin
• October 22 report by the Middle East Media Research Institute: "Panic in Khartoum: Foreigners Shake Hands, Make Penises Disappear"locked/forbidden
• Wall Street Journal's "Best of the Web Today," Wednesday, October 22, 2003
• "Genitals ‘Disappearance’ Rocks Patani Community", Nigerian Daily Independent's 7 March, 2006 report
• Koro - the Genital Retraction Syndrome - BBC h2g2, Page dedicated to Koro