When a woman’s genitals are physically aroused or engorged for hours or days at a time, but she does not feel sexually aroused and is distressed by the situation. Having sex with a partner or masturbating provides little or no relief. PGAD is poorly understood. Technically speaking, sexual pleasure involves a balance between intense neuronal excitation and an inhibition of that excitation. With PGAD, the excitement is out of control, with not enough inhibition to balance it. This results in feeling of discomfort and distress as opposed to pleasure. Possible causes of PGAD might include Tarlov cysts on the spine, restless leg syndrome, pudendal nerve neuralgia, affective disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it can occur when SSRI antidepressants are discontinued. Researchers are also starting to explore a possible relationship between eating disorders and persistant genital arousal disorder. That’s because both disorders have several factors in common, including hormonal dysregulation and sensory sensitivity. There is also a recent case report of persistent genital arousal disorder occuring in a teenage male, although it seems questionable to call it a disorder given how “teenage male” and “persistent genital arousal” usually go hand in hand.