What Is True/Slant?
275+ knowledgeable contributors.
Reporting and insight on news of the moment.
Follow them and join the news conversation.
 

Jun. 2 2009 - 8:59 am | 15 views | 0 recommendations | 0 comments

Daily Dosage: Your penis is shrinking

mentalillnessJust kidding!

Or am I? Look down. And ladies, check yourselves too. You never know when you (and your entire household and workplace) will come down with GRS: genital retraction syndrome.

Typically a “culture-bound” mass mental hysteria, GRS is characterized by the panicked belief that one’s genitals (including breasts) are shrinking and withdrawing into one’s own body. The ailment is more common in African and Asian cultures, where spiritual beliefs are often the root cause.

Of course, the genitals are rarely actually shrinking. But that doesn’t mean no one gets hurt: damage to genitalia is often incurred, as one frantically grabs and yanks to prevent the disappearance of their private parts.


Comments

No Comments Yet
Post your comment »
 
Log in for notification options
Comments RSS
 

Post Your Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment

Log in with your True/Slant account.

Previously logged in with Facebook?

Create an account to join True/Slant now.

Facebook users:
Create T/S account with Facebook
 

My T/S Activity Feed

 
     

    About Me

    I'm a full-time heath & science writer at Sphere and a contributing editor at True/Slant. I also contribute military health news to Danger Room at Wired.com, and have recently written for Marie Claire, World Politics Review and Next American City.

    My first foray into journalism came in middle school - at a French-speaking plaid-kilt-wearing educational institute somewhere in the Canadian tundra. It was there that I decided to start my own newspaper, to disseminate my sarcasm and attitude problem among my peers. We lasted three issues.

    From there I started to freelance, and when I became a medium-sized fish in a small Canadian lake, I decided to move to New York, and become a spore in a vast journalistic ocean. The adventure continues.

    I try to parallel my personal interests with my professional work - so most of my writing has some connection to health, science and animal rights.

    Email me Extreme story ideas at

    katiedrumm@gmail.com

    You can also find me:

    At Danger Room on Wired's website.

    Or on Twitter @katiedrumm.

    Otherwise, I'm either triathloning, eating, breaking my pelvis, or sleeping. Extreme, I know.

    See my profile »
    Followers: 203
    Contributor Since: May 2009
    Location:N to the YC

    What I'm Up To

    • Danger Room at Wired.com

      wired-logo-2I contribute coverage of the military medical beat at Wired.com

       
    • World Politics Review

      3818788252_e035c9a711I contribute military/defense coverage to World Politics Review

       
    • On Twitter

      twitter_logo_header-2

       
    .<
    • +O
    • +O
    • +O
    >.