The Loss of Semen Syndrome in Sri Lanka: A clinical study

Abstract

Abstract The clinical presentations of the anxieties about loss of semen among Sri Lankan males were examined. A total of 38 patients referred to a psychiatric clinic with four different types of presenting complaints, but all sharing anxieties about the effects of the excessive loss of seminal fluid, were included in the study. They were assessed by two semi-structured interviews, with the aid of a symptom check-list. It was found that all the patients shared a core set of symptoms providing support for a unitary concept of a loss of semen syndrome. They also displayed a common set of beliefs about seminal fluid and its importance. The main source of these beliefs was the Ayurvedic medical tradition as practised and publicized by local practitioners. The paper also reports data on the effects of the problems on the patients' lives, previous treatment received, and psychiatric diagnoses. Observations are made on the clinical management of the syndrome.