Human sexuality is a complicated issue. It affects and is affected by so many internal and external factors that it can be hard for people to develop a full understanding of their own sexuality, much less that of anyone else. As a result, many people often feel as though they have some sort of sexual performance problem or some area in which they could be doing better. For men the focus may be strictly on performance while women worry about orgasms more often. Whatever their concerns, most of the time people are perfectly normal but there are conditions which can confound even the experts while making the rest of us feel a bit more normal. Here we’ve gathered together five of the strangest

Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder (PGAD)

Most guys know about random arousal. Usually it happens as they transition through puberty and realize they can achieve an erection even when sex is the furthest thing from their mind. Typically, this condition fades as men grow older and it becomes little more than an embarrassing memory. But for some people – both men and women – the inability to control their sexual arousal becomes a serious concern. Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder, PGAD for short, is a chronic condition where people feel fully sexually aroused at all times. Given the personal nature of this condition, symptoms can vary widely. In women, common symptoms include genital sensitivity and spontaneous orgasms. For men, erections that come out of nowhere and remain rigid for minutes or even hours isn’t uncommon. PGAD has only been officially recognized for about 10 years so research into causes remains somewhat cloudy. Treatment options can vary too, though many doctors use a combination of pharmaceuticals and mental health resources to manage symptoms.

Priapism

Priapism is the engorgement of the sexual organs. Initially, this condition sounds a lot like PGAD but there’s one major difference – most patients don’t feel any sort of sexual arousal. Priapism often happens spontaneously and many men who experience it require first aid in order to reduce swelling since achieving an orgasm won’t necessarily put an end to the erection. After a few hours, the condition can become painful and some men seek out emergency medical care. Although this condition isn’t fully understood, doctors do have a better idea as to its causes. Causes for the condition can be rooted in other medical conditions such as sickle-cell disease, leukemia and a variety of neurological disorders.

Hypersexuality

Hypersexuality is one of the more well-known conditions, though it’s usually referred to by its more common name of nymphomania. While the idea of always wanting sex can seem like a pretty fun time, the fact is that people struggling with this condition focus on sex to the exclusion of everything else. People with extreme cases run the risk of losing their jobs, alienating friends and family and even exposing themselves to venereal diseases.

Sexsomnia

This is a condition that has only recently come to light. Simply put, it’s like sleep walking, but with sex. People suffering with sexsomnia engage is all sorts of sexual activity without ever realizing it. Sexsomnia is still a field where much research needs to be done in order to uncover root causes and effective treatment options. Currently, doctors know that the condition often occurs in people who have other types of sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep deprivation, night terrors, sleep walking and bedwetting.

Orgasm Induced Migraines

There are a number of health benefits to having sex, including weight loss, easing of depression and even help to alieve widespread chronic pain. But for some, having sex means having to put up with a skull-splitting migraine once they reach orgasm. Headaches associated with sex can signal more troubling issues such as problems with circulation or a weakening of the arteries. Treatments include checking for underlying causes and the use of daily or occasional medications.