Coitus after Sept. 11: 'terror sex,' impotence

On Fri., Sept. 21, the Internet magazine Salon.com published an article on “terror sex,” a phenomenon characterized by people across America finding solace and security in sex in the post-Sept. 11 world.

NICHOLAS ZAMISKA/YH

Salon.com told the story of one woman who enjoyed extemporaneous sex with a friend: “We had sex like it was the end of the world, and if I could do it over again, I still would,” she said.

However, experts believe that these wild and wide generalizations about sex oversimplify the complex issue of how different individuals cope with trauma. While the terrorist strikes and ensuing national uncertainty have prompted some to emphasize inter-personal interactions, others have become withdrawn.

Some liken “terror sex” to the urgency surrounding sex after World War II, a phenomenon that spawned the Baby Boom. Pepper Schwartz, a psychology professor at the University of Washington, told Salon that in times of crisis, an average person wants “some sort of homage to a life force. I’m alive, I’m functioning, I’m real. There’s a euphoria,” she said.

On the other hand, others have experienced sexual dysfunction since the attacks and have lost “the capacity to experience pleasure,” Yale Professor of Psychiatry Philip Sarrel said. He added that this problem is not only limited to sexual relationships, but can also extend to other forms of social interaction. This trend explains why fewer people have been going out to eat, to movies, or to the theater.

However, Sarrel said that these two issues--either “terror sex” or trauma-instigated impotence--in no way contradict each other and can be explained by two phenomena. He has witnessed people who seemed fine right after the attacks. Initially, they continued to have normal sexual relations, but later on developed sexual problems.

“If you have sex at a time when there is little motivation, when you feel pressured, it is not the same quality as sex when you want to do it,” Sarrell said. This sort of negative reaction to sex is common after extremely traumatizing events and is similar to the reactions of someone experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

However, many people do not realize that the events of Sept. 11 have contributed to their difficulties, and ignorance often makes dealing with their sexual dysfunction more difficult.

According to Sarrel, it is normal for those who are even aware that something is wrong to feel they have no way to remedy the situation, which was originally caused by their intense new fears. This situation, in turn, creates a condition called anhedonia, which means the lack of desire to engage in hedonistic behavior.

Sarrel explains that there is always a “little anxiety for some people surrounding sex, and compacted with more generalized anxiety, it comes out in an effect on desire and response.”

Sarrel warned, however, that since the wounds left by the terrorist attacks are so fresh, and since our current perspective on the events so limited, any truly comprehensive study on birth rate or sexual activity is nearly impossible at this time. It will take years to appreciate what the full social effects of Sept. 11 will be, he said.

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