| Understanding genital-shrinking epidemics in West Africa: koro, juju, or mass psychogenic illness? | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 16108203 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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A small-scale epidemic of genital shrinking occurred in six West African nations between January 1997 and October 2003. This article presents a summary and analysis of 56 media reports of these cases. A clinical formulation of these cases considers a variety of explanations from theory and research in social and cultural psychology, psychopathology, and anthropology. Of particular interest is a comparison of genital-shrinking distress in West African settings with koro, a culture-bound syndrome involving fears of genital retraction that is prominent in Southeast Asian settings. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the role of culture in both the experience of genital-shrinking distress and conceptions of psychopathology. |
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Authors:
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Vivian Afi Dzokoto; Glenn Adams |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Culture, medicine and psychiatry Volume: 29 ISSN: 0165-005X ISO Abbreviation: Cult Med Psychiatry Publication Date: 2005 Mar |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2005-08-19 Completed Date: 2005-11-10 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7707467 Medline TA: Cult Med Psychiatry Country: Netherlands |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 53-78 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Department of Psychology, Fayetteville State University, NC 28311, USA. vdzokoto@uncfsu.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Africa, Western Culture* Disease Outbreaks* Genitalia, Male / physiopathology* Humans Koro / ethnology*, psychology Male Mass Behavior* Somatoform Disorders / ethnology, physiopathology* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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