The story of a woman in her twenties who has been suffering from a rare condition that causes persistent sexual arousal for 15 years has garnered attention. Suffering from a disorder known as Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD), the woman described her symptoms as feeling “like there are burning bugs under my skin” and “I get aroused without my will and also experience nerve pain.” Currently, part of her genital nerves has been removed, and she is undergoing treatment aimed at achieving normal sexual desire and sexual life.
According to the New York Post, on the 25th, Scarlett Kaitlyn Warren, 21, has been suffering from PGAD since she was six years old. This disease causes abnormal sexual arousal and pain in the genitals, even without any sexual stimulation. Unlike hypersexuality or sex addiction, it does not cause functional abnormalities or other physical disabilities, but it is known to cause significant distress to those affected.
In particular, Scarlett has struggled to make friends due to the anxiety of not knowing when symptoms will appear, and she has been unable to spend much time with people. The same was true for her work and studies. Scarlett stated, “As time passed, the symptoms did not improve but only worsened. Eventually, at the age of 18, I could no longer hide it and confessed to my parents that I was suffering from PGAD.”
Scarlett eventually sought help at a sexual medicine clinic in San Diego, California, where the cause of her condition was identified. The medical team, in particular, analyzed that congenital neuroproliferative vestibulodynia, a condition causing the pelvic nerves to overreact to touch since birth, is the reason for triggering PGAD. Since first being recognized in 2001, the causes of PGAD have been associated with pelvic vascular anomalies, nerve issues, side effects of medications, changes in sex hormones, and other physical and mental factors, but the exact cause is still unknown.