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Postorgasmic illness syndrome
- Other Names:
POIS; Post orgasmic sick syndrome; Post-orgasmic illness syndromePOIS; Post orgasmic sick syndrome; Post-orgasmic illness syndrome
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Disease at a Glance
Summary
Postorgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a rare condition in which a person develops flu-like and allergy symptoms after orgasm, whether with a partner, through masturbation, or spontaneously during sleep. POIS typically is reported in males (after ejaculation), but females have rarely been reported to have symptoms of POIS. Symptoms may develop within seconds, minutes, or hours after orgasm, and usually last for 2 to 7 days before going away on their own. Possible symptoms vary from person to person, but more common symptoms include fatigue, weakness, headache, fever, mood changes, memory or concentration problems, stuffy nose, sore throat, and itching eyes. The underlying cause of POIS is not known. Some scientists believe that in men, it is an autoimmune or allergic disorder that causes an inflammatory reaction to a substance in a man's own semen. Others have proposed POIS may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. POIS can cause severe distress in people with the condition and their partners. Some people with POIS abstain from sexual activity or find that they need to schedule sex for a time when they can cope with the symptoms.
Estimated Number of People with this Disease
In the U.S. there may be between
1 to 300
What Information Does GARD Have For This Disease?
Many rare diseases have limited information. Currently GARD is able to provide the following information for this disease:
*Data may be currently unavailable to GARD at this time.
Categories
When do symptoms of this disease begin?
The most common ages for symptoms of a disease to begin is called age of onset. Age of onset can vary for different diseases and may be used by a doctor to determine the diagnosis. For some diseases, symptoms may begin in a single age range or several age ranges. For other diseases, symptoms may begin any time during a person's life.
Prenatal
Before Birth
Newborn
Birth-4 weeks
Infant
1-23 months
Child
2-11 years
Adolescent Selected
12-18 years
Adult Selected
19-65 years
Older Adult
65+ years
The common ages for symptoms to begin in this disease are shown above by the colored icon(s).
Symptoms
These symptoms may be different from person to person. Some people may have more symptoms than others and symptoms can range from mild to severe. This list does not include every symptom.
This disease might cause these symptoms:
This disease might cause these symptoms:
Nervous System
17 Symptoms
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Nervous System
The nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Common symptoms of problems in the nervous system include trouble moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing, or learning. Problems with memory, senses, or mood may also occur. Nervous system diseases are usually diagnosed and treated by neurologists.
17 Symptoms
Causes
This section is currently in development.
Next Steps
Talking with the Medical Team
Good communication between the patient, family, and medical team can lead to an accurate diagnosis. In addition, health care decisions can be made together which improves the patient’s well-being and quality of life.
The National Library of Medicine's Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is used to classify and organize diseases and disease categories.
Data from Orphanet and Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) are used to provide information on a disease's symptoms, genes, inheritance, population estimates, and more.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2015. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2015). Health Literacy Online: A Guide for Simplifying the User Experience.
- Reference: Access aggregated data from Orphanet at Orphadata. Orphanet is an online database of rare diseases and orphan drugs. Copyright, INSERM 1997.
- Reference: Download data from HPO. Kohler S, Gargano M, Matentzoglu N, et al., The Human Phenotype Ontology in 2021, Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 49, Issue D1, 8 January 2021, Pages D1207–D1217.
- Reference: MedGen Data Downloads and FTP
- Reference: Data from the Newborn Screening Coding and Terminology Guide is available here. Downs SM, van Dyck PC, Rinaldo P, et al. Improving newborn screening laboratory test ordering and result reporting using health information exchange . J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2010 Jan-Feb;17(1):13-8.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2015. Improving Diagnosis in Health Care. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2015). Health Literacy Online: A Guide for Simplifying the User Experience.
Last Updated: Nov. 8, 2021