Doctors in China have detailed a rare and deeply distressing case of persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) — a little-known condition that can cause spontaneous, uncontrollable orgasm-like sensations without any sexual desire.
The patient, a 20-year-old woman whose identity has not been revealed, has lived with the symptoms for the past five years, enduring multiple orgasms each day that would strike without warning and last anywhere from seconds to hours, per Psypost.
Far from pleasurable, the condition left her unable to attend school or work, strained her relationships, and fueled severe psychological distress.
Her ordeal began at the age of 14, when she first experienced unusual genital sensitivity alongside troubling beliefs — including the idea that others could read her thoughts — leading to psychiatric hospitalization for depressive and psychotic symptoms.
Around that time, she started feeling what she described as an “electric” sensation rising through her abdomen, followed by pelvic contractions similar to orgasms.
Over the years, she cycled through anti-epileptic and psychiatric medications without relief.
At one point, she became convinced her orgasms were being externally controlled, compounding her distress.
Neurologists ultimately ruled out epilepsy using EEG monitoring, and physical exams showed no structural abnormalities in her brain or reproductive system.
Her diagnosis: persistent genital arousal disorder — a condition formally described only in 2001 and still poorly understood.
As Jing Yan and Dafang Ouyang of Peking University Sixth Hospital explained in their case report: “The sexual arousal symptoms are characterized by recurrent and spontaneous orgasmic experiences.”
Unlike typical sexual arousal, PGAD occurs without desire and without the mental satisfaction of knowing release is imminent.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms can include pressure, throbbing, burning, itching, or even pins-and-needles sensations, and they can be deeply disruptive.
Possible triggers range from nerve damage and spinal abnormalities to medication side effects.
Some studies suggest antidepressant or anti-anxiety drug changes may play a role, while others point to dopamine imbalance in the brain’s reward and arousal systems.
In this case, doctors believe dopamine may have been the key. When the woman began treatment with the antipsychotic risperidone — later switched to olanzapine — her symptoms quickly eased.
Within weeks, the orgasms became less frequent and less severe, and her delusions subsided. She was able to return to work and social life.
However, when she stopped taking the medication on her own, her symptoms returned — only to improve again once the drugs were resumed.
This response, the authors suggest, supports the theory that dopamine-blocking medications could help manage PGAD in certain patients.
Still, they caution against overgeneralizing. PGAD affects an estimated 0.6% to 3% of the population — more often women — and each case can stem from different causes. What works for one patient may not work for another.
The case, published July 10, 2025, in AME Case Reports, offers rare insight into a condition that remains both underdiagnosed and stigmatized.