12 Crazy Phobias That Make Sex Sound Terrifying

Sex may be a completely natural, enjoyable part of life, but we we all know that it can be stressful enough without being hampered by a phobia. As it turns out, there are a slew of irrational fears about sex.

Here are 12 of the craziest sexual phobias:

1. Ithyphallophobia is the fear of seeing, having, or thinking about erections. This phobia, which affects both men and women, is also called medorthophobia and phallophobia.

2. Medomalacuphobia, on the other hand, is the fear of losing an erection. Granted, plenty of men feel nervous about going limp, but only those whose lives are crippled by the phobia are diagnosed with the actual anxiety disorder.

3. Gymnophobia is the irrational fear of nudity. Again, don't confuse this with body-consciousness or excessive modesty. Gymnophobiacs actively fear being seen naked, seeing someone else naked, or both.

4. Menophobia is the fear of menstruation. We won't lie, the ordeal is a little scary when you really think about it.

5. Anuptaphobia is the fear of staying single. 

6. Heterophobia, also called sexophobia, is fear of the opposite sex. We think this would be even harder to cope with than the erection phobia.

7. Erotophobia, which is supposedly the most common form of sexual phobia, is the fear of all things sex, be it sexual love, sexual questions, or sexual knoweldge.

8. Eurotophobia, or kolopophobia, is the fear of female genitalia. Eurotophobia manifests itself differently from person to person; some feel repulsed just thinking about female sex organs, while others react only when stimulated.

9. Parthenophobia is the irrational fear of virgins and young females. 

10. Tocophobia is the fear of pregnancy and childbirth.

11. Oneirogmophobia is the fear of wet dreams.

12. Coitophobia is the fear of intercourse itself. 

No matter how strange they sound, many sex phobias arise from distressingly common situations. Molestation, a bad relationship, or a traumatic first encounter can all trigger scores of debilitating anxieties. Other times, these phobias don't have a particular trigger—to sufferers, it seems that they inexplicably develop over time.

Thankfully, there are plenty of resources and sex therapists equipped to help those who want to get past their phobias to enjoy (comparatively) stress-free sex lives.

Think you might suffer from a sex disorder or phobia? Find a qualified professional to help you.