Post-orgasmic Illness Syndrome

Disorders of ejaculation are a rare and poorly understood subsection of male sexual dysfunction. A paucity of evidence has hindered advances in definitions, epidemiology, pathophysiology and management. The licensing of a specific medication for premature ejaculation signalled the research interest of pharmaceutical companies in this group of conditions. Furthermore, patients and clinicians are more aware of issues regarding sexual dysfunction. As a consequence a number of new conditions and syndromes have become recognised in the medical literature. Post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is one such condition. In 2002 Waldinger and Schweitzer described in a report, two physically healthy men, who developed flu-like symptoms almost immediately after every ejaculation; symptoms would last between two and seven days [1]. Subsequently a limited number of case reports and small series have been published worldwide (approximately 50 in 10 years) [2]. POIS has been recognised as a rare disorder by the National Institute for Health (NIH), Office of Rare Disease Research [3].