Imagine the wedding night scene when the couples were all geared up to do the thing when all of a sudden the woman screaming and clutching the precious pole trying to keep it from shrinking or instead of the wife screaming the husband fuming over the tight va…. like as though it is disappearing and the inverted nipples of the partner. Yes! that is what happens when Koro comes knocking at your door.

Koro or otherwise known as 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 genitalia , in females, the vagina ,diminishing in dimensions and nipples are retracting into the body and breasts shrinking, or in some male cases, the penis and testicles may be pulled into the body or disappear. A penis panic like the scenerio describes earlier which of course if it occures in a huge male population may cause a mass hysteria of zombie looking males all clutching their diminuitive privates, least they disappear and cause the death of their owners.Penis panics have occurred around the world, most notably in Africa and Asia. Local beliefs assert that such syndromes are often fatal.

Genital retraction syndrome in Southeast Asia is known as Koro, 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.It is becoming increasingly clear that these forms of mass-hysteria are more common than previously thought.

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). The term “Koro” which means “head of the turtle” in Malay is believed to be a culture-bound syndrome, is similar to penis panics in various cultures. Koro most commonly describes the extreme fear that the penis is retracting into the body, brought about by some supernatural powers and that such retraction will bring about death. Koro also tends to reflect a certain xenophobia among some groups, whereby foreigners are often blamed as the ones behind the “attacks”.

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.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.Probably the best treatise ever decribed about this unique fenomena of koro is the details written by Robert E.Barthelomew in the book Little Green Men, Meowing Nuns and Head-Hunting Panics: A Study of Mass Psychogenic Illness and Social Delusion , and the excerpts goes like this, “In parts of Asia, entire regions are occasionally overwhelmed by terror-stricken men who believe that their penises are shriveling up or retracting into their bodies, whereupon they will die. Those affected often place clamps or strings onto the precious organs or have family members hold the penis in relays until an appropriate treatment is obtained, often from traditional healers. … Episodes can endure for weeks or months and affect thousands. Psychiatrists are divided as to the cause of these imaginary scares. Some believe that it is a form of group psychosis triggered by stress, while others view it as a mass hysteria. … While these episodes may appear humorous to Westerners, they offer a valuable lesson because they show how vulnerable we all are to mass delusion.”

The man at left is suffering from an acute case of koro, or genital retraction syndrome (GRS) during the 1985 epidemic in Guangdong, China. (Photo courtesy R.E. Bartholomew)

Koro most commonly strikes men, but rare cases are known to involve women and the fear that either their external genital or nipples are retracting into the body.

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.
Koro has been successfully treated with a course of alprazolam and imipramine (which are psychiatric drugs, the former used to treat anxiety disorders).

Therefore folks do not be alarmed.There will be no knocking at your door when you are doing the thing.If you have problems do not go to the shamans or the dukuns.Do see your favourite doctor.Everything will be back in place.

I suppose the label Men No Pause will be the choicest of labels most men after 50 would want to put on their doors when they meet friends of similar ages to brag about their colorful lives, their women conquest, the fast cars they have and the overseas trips they made. Of course there will be no mention of failing health or failing memory or failing strength, everything is fine if not better as though age freeze for them. Their better halves of course will have their own sessions. They are very much down to earth as they know age has caught up with them and they will not hesitate to be very open about their failing health, their ailing body and the number of trips they have to make to see their personal doctors and the number of trips they have to make to see their personal beautician for make over’s.

Women of all ages are aware of the term menopause unlike men who only know that men no pause. In fact there is this saying that life begins at 40 for men! That implies that before 40 they are children or teenager. That’s not surprising when you can see middle age men before 40 still hold on their membership in Youth Clubs and Youth Section of political parties!

Men as women do go through aging process or rather they pass through the golden year that is a real challenge to their health. In women their reproductive function ceased as they menopause. The female hormones wane dramatically following symptoms suggestive of emergence of menopause like flushes, mood swings, panic attacks, insomnia, palpitation, anxiety, loss of libido and depression. Other than that there is this tendency of contracting some chronic illness like hypertension, diabetes, coronary diseases etc. which is part of aging.

With regard to fertility, similar changes are taking place in the males as well. After 50, their fertility wanes but not ceased. That’s probably the reason why they keep trying to knock down young women even their artilleries are in bad shape. They produce less sperms with poor quality and started to have problems with their sexual prowess and especially if they contract diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and coronary diseases. More than a third of them will have prostate problems, like enlarged prostate that might have a negative influence in their sexual function because of frequency in passing urine.

Having low testosterone does not just affect their libido. Testosterone is important for men. It is this elixir that gives them the male characteristics, the so called macho and virility. The very same hormone gives them the strength, the lean body mass, the muscle bulk, the bone strength, the heat and of course the libido. It is this hormone that maintains sperm production and sensitizes the sex center to respond to sexual desire. Just imagine what will happen if that very same hormone level dwindles down. This situation is called Andropause and sometime is also known as male menopause. You see a pathetic looking male with no sting. He sometimes look frail, no muscle, only bones and skin. He may appear grumpy and quarrelsome. He will have similar symptoms as seen in menopausal women like flushes, night sweats, insomnia, loss of memory, palpitations and specifically in men loss of nocturnal erections and looking fatigue. If this is something that is welcoming to him then it’s alright.

No men would want to be in that state, looking hopeless and helpless.
Like menopause, Andropause is now a recognized health issue in men. Men with ‘late onset hypogonadism’ or LOH as it is also being known as can be treated by Testosterone Replacement Therapy. Before testosteone is instituted, the aging male need to go for a medical assessment to evaluate his health status. His medical condition if any need to be treated. His prostate will be evaluated prior to providing him testosterone therapy. Since this therapy can be for life time, he needs to come for regular follow-up to monitor his prostate and general health. There is also alternative therapy in the form of herbal supplementation. Certain herbs like Tribulus terrestis and Eurycoma longifolia or Tongkat Ali have been found to stimulate the adrenals and testicles in producing natural testosterone. The water soluble extract have been found to be useful with less side effects. If he has problems with his prowess, medication that can improve blood flow to his genital organs can help, if the medication is suitable for him.

Men need not stay behind and suffer in silent. They need to emulate their better halves in opening up and take charge of their health. Putting the Men No Pause sign will not help. The signage should be Men Do Pause.