Genital Retraction Syndrome

The obese young man was distraught. He felt his penis was shrinking, and told the doctor he feared it might disappear altogether one day. His complaint is not unique or unusual, but is psychological rather than physical. It is called Koro Syndrome, taking its origin from a Malay word meaning ‘Head of a turtle.’ This condition is also known as Genital Retraction Syndrome (GRS), Penis Panic etc. In China (Cantonese) it is known as ‘Suo–Yang’ meaning ‘Shrinking Penis.’

GRS is characterized by the belief that

· The penis is shrinking

· It will eventually be absorbed into the body and disappear

· It will cause death

The GRS was first mentioned in the ancient Chinese text ‘The Yellow Emperor’s classic of Internal Medicine’ dating back to 300 B.C. It sometimes presents as mass hysteria and instances of vast segments of the population being victims of this fear have been recorded around the world, most notably in Africa and Asia. A well-documented mass ‘Penis Panic’ occurred in Singapore in 1967 and hospitals were inundated with worried people. Many resorted to pegs, clamps and even a constant grip to prevent the organ from ‘vanishing’ entirely! It took a while before normalcy was restored.

Women too suffer from a similar syndrome. They believe their breasts and vaginal lips are shrinking and being sucked inside the body.

This psychological disorder is associated with belief in occult practices such as witchcraft or with guilt stemming from false notions about masturbation.

In reality, men who are extremely obese may find it difficult to locate their penises buried under several layers of fat. Similarly, the penises of those suffering from huge hydroceles may seem almost lost in the massive scrotal enlargement. That is all there to it, nothing more.

Some physiological facts for the panic-stricken:

· Once the penis has grown to its adult size, it will NOT shrink

· The penis has no bone. It is made up of spongy tissues. Its size depends on the amount of blood staying in the tissue spaces at any given moment. So the size tends to vary from time to time.

· The organ is like a coiled spring. It may stretch on sexual arousal, but remain compressed otherwise.