Persistent genital arousal disorder PGAD is characterized by unrelenting, spontaneous, and uncontainable genital arousal, mostly in females. A woman with PGAD can experience spontaneous orgasms that do not resolve arousal. PGAD can lead to ongoing physical pain, stress , and psychological difficulties due to an inability to carry out everyday tasks. The condition can affect women of all ages. Experts have not clinically confirmed the incidence of PGAD, as many people with the condition feel too embarrassed or ashamed to seek medical help. The primary symptom of PGAD is a series of ongoing and uncomfortable sensations in and around the genital tissues, including the clitoris, labia, vagina, perineum, and anus. These can lead the person with PGAD to feel consistently like they are about to experience orgasm, or they may experience waves of spontaneous orgasms.
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Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome
It reads more like the title of a film on YouPorn than the start of an article about a debilitating medical condition. More often than not, PGAD sufferers are treated as hypersexual oddities. But PGAD actually has very little to do with orgasms, and absolutely nothing to do with pleasure. The condition, largely suffered by women, is characterised by an implacable feeling of genital congestion and pelvic pain. Those who have it often feel permanently on the verge of an orgasm that they can't complete — a sort of chronic clitoral constipation. PGAD sufferers soon learn to avoid triggers. Anything from a bumpy train ride, to inserting a tampon, to wearing stilettos which offset the balance of the pelvis can exacerbate the extreme genital sensitivity.
INTRODUCTION
Persistent genital arousal disorder PGAD is a health concern that has not yet received much research attention or recognition in the healthcare system. Individuals who experience PGAD report genital arousal symptoms including sensitivity in their genitals, feelings of genital arousal—like tingling, throbbing, feeling on the verge of orgasm, swelling, lubrication without corresponding feelings of sexual desire. These arousal symptoms also last for a prolonged period of time: for hours, days, or are always present. PGAD symptoms do not usually go away with an orgasm or two and are described as distressing, unwanted and sometimes painful. These symptoms occur without feelings of sexual desire or excitement and persist for a prolonged period of time hours, days, or are constantly present. These orgasms are described as uncomfortable, distracting, and disturbing. PGAD is another example of when genital arousal and desire do not occur at the same time.
Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More. Persistent genital arousal disorder PGAD is a phenomenon, in which afflicted women experience spontaneous genital arousal, unresolved by orgasms and triggered by sexual or nonsexual stimuli, eliciting stress. The current case is a year-old female who experienced such orgasms for about a month. Physical examination, investigations, and psychological testing were noncontributory. Carbamazepine mg was discontinued due to a lack of response. She improved significantly with supportive therapy.
