What’s erotophobia?

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Erotophobia can mean different things depending on the context in which it is used, although it generally refers to fear or negative attitudes towards sex and human sexuality. When used in a clinical or psychological context, the term usually refers to a literal phobia in which a person experiences fear or panic when confronted with sexuality, or a general descriptor of a person’s attitudes toward sex. Erotophobia can also be used in contexts outside psychology and mental health and often describes social or personal attitudes about sex and how individuals view human sexuality.

The term comes from “Eros”, the Greek god of sexual love, and phobos, the Greek word for fear, from which “phobia” also derives. Erotophobia is often used in a psychological context with one of two slightly different meanings. When used very precisely, to refer to a specific psychological condition, it refers to an intense and often irrational fear of sex and sexuality. Those with erotophobia will often experience intense feelings of fear and panic, often associated with physical responses such as rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat, and increased sweating, when faced with sexual situations or images. This fear can be purely irrational, or it can be a result of witnessing violent sexual acts or being the victim of sexual abuse.

Erotophobia can also refer to a more general psychological attitude towards sex and human sexuality, both in terms of acceptance and tolerance. In this usage, the term is often part of a sliding scale with respect to how people in general view human sexuality. On one side are those who could be described as erotophobic. They may be intolerant of representations of sexuality, are not likely to discuss sex openly or freely, and there may be decreased use of contraception and reduced sex education among those who may be erotophobic. At the other end of the scale are those who are labeled as erotophiles, who are open to sex and sexuality, are often more accepting of representations of sex, and are more likely to talk openly about sex, including sex education and the use of contraception.

The term “erotophobia” is also often used in relation to society and individuals in general and to understanding how sex is viewed by others. Some might speak of erotophobia in Western civilization as a general description of how people in the United States or Europe view sex and sexuality. It is often used in literature or film criticism to indicate how an artist has dealt with sex and sexuality, and can also be used to describe how others view artwork that depicts sex. However, there is some criticism of the use of the term itself, as it lumps “sex” into a single point of view despite the complicated nature of human sexuality.

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