Dhat Syndrome Among the Islamic Populations of India and Pakistan

Abstract

Dhat syndrome is a ‘culture reactive syndrome’ rather than a ‘culture-bound syndrome’ since it is also reported in many other geographical regions including Central Asia, China, Russia, America, and Europe. It is not that rare among the Islamic populations in India and Pakistan. A recent nationwide multicentric study from India on the phenomenology of Dhat syndrome found that out of the 780 cases studied, 179 (22.9%) were Muslims. The case report also highlighted the lack of culture bound entity of Dhat syndrome. Just like Asian culture, Islamic and Western cultures also emphasize the importance of semen and consequences of semen loss, making it a global phenomenon. Furthermore, globalization and migration, especially from the Indian subcontinent to the Gulf countries, could also be seen as a reason for this presentation. This may partly explain the occurrence of Dhat syndrome in Oman and further emphasize that Dhat syndrome is ‘culture reactive’ rather than ‘culture bound’.

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