Psychaesthenic syndrome related to leukorrhoea in Indian women

The psychological and social contexts of complaints of abnormal vaginal discharge: A study of illness narratives in India

“…Studies in clinical settings have demonstrated associations between gynecological symptoms and social and psychological factors [11,12]; furthermore, a number of qualitative studies have indicated that women often associate their complaints of vaginal discharge with tiredness and other somatic experiences [13,14]. We have recently completed a population-based cohort study of the relationship between psychosocial factors, RTIs, and gynecological morbidity in Goa, India.…”

Do Social and Demographic Factors Influence the Nature and Localisation of Somatic Complaints?

“…It is likely that edu cated and professional people are exposed more often to stress-and tension-producing situations, mainly in their occupation. In In dia, a number of bodily symptoms like gener alised weakness of the body and mind, and aches and pains are found to be associated with a specific sexual neurosis in men called 'Dhat syndrome' [26,27], and a psychasthen ic syndrome related to vaginal discharge in women [28], These culture-specific disorders, observed frequently in Indian men and wom en, are seen more often in the illiterate, rural, and young men (and women). In this study we did not examine the attribution of the somatic symptoms to factors like loss of semen or pas sage of vaginal discharge, which are the key disturbances seen in these syndromes.…”

Abnormal Illness Behaviour and Somatisation due to Leucorrhoea

“…It perhaps occurs as a hidden popular illness or a folk illness. Among psychiatric patients, 40% of women reported passing a white discharge and one third of these cases attributed their multiple somatic problems to this white discharge [5]. A case presenting with multiple somatic com plaints attributed to white discharge is re ported here.…”

“…Major depression and somatoform disorder were more often seen in patients reporting white discharge. But none had somatisation disorder [5]. This case with abnormal illness behavior and diagnosed as somatisation disorder, attributed all the symptoms to passing the white discharge.…”

“…Dhat syndrome, characterised by feelings of weakness, lethargy, fatiguability, somatic concern and other bodily symptoms due to loss of semen, is commonly seen in young Indian male patients [1][2][3], There are a few descriptions of a similar syndrome occurring in women [4,5], in which physical and mental weakness have been attributed to the passing of a whitish discharge through the vagina. The prevalence of this problem in the population at large is not known but it may be quite com mon, especially among Asian women.…”