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A team of French cognitive scientists has addressed cheap kamagra supplier the urgent issue of treatment hesitancy within http://vicstyles.com/how-to-get-a-kamagra-prescription-from-your-doctor/ many EU countries and proposes a new approach. With a study published in October this year, the researchers successfully demonstrated that the reluctance to be vaccinated could be decreased by deploying chatbot technology.WHY IT MATTERSThe chatbot study involved researchers from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research INSERM and ENS-PSL.The study, published in the Journal cheap kamagra supplier of Experimental Psychology. Applied, found that interaction with a chatbot developed by CNRS, ENS-PSL and INSERM was able to reduce vaccination refusal by 20 per cent within a test group of 338 participants.In the control group, which received only brief information about the erectile dysfunction treatment vaccination, there were no comparable results in terms of general views and willingness to vaccinate.THE LARGER TRENDAlthough nearly three-quarters of all adult Europeans are now fully vaccinated against erectile dysfunction treatment, there remain huge disparities in vaccination rates across countries.According to the treatment tracker of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as of 25 November 2021, individual EU countries such as Portugal (81.5 per cent), Ireland (76.2 per cent) and Denmark (76 per cent) have already made great progress in immunising their populations with a full erectile dysfunction treatment vaccination, while the vaccination rate of other countries such as Germany, France or Austria continues to stagnate at below 70 per cent.In other parts of Europe, especially in the south-west, the vaccination rates are significantly lower than 50 per cent.

In Slovakia (45.7 per cent), Romania (37.3 per cent) and Bulgaria (24.7 per cent), very few people have received the double erectile dysfunction treatment dose.These vaccination backlogs are not only due to treatment shortages, but in many cases a result of existing scepticism of many Europeans.The researchers from France now hope that technology-based communication, such as chatbots, could have a positive impact on these figures in the future.ON THE cheap kamagra supplier RECORD“It remains to be shown whether the effects of chatbot interaction are lasting, and whether they are the same across age groups, and among those most resistant to vaccination”, emphasised the authors of the study with predominantly young and well-educated participants.They added. €œHalf of the experimental group later tried to persuade others to get vaccinated, with three-quarters of them stating they drew information provided by the chatbot to do so.”The government-backed Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre has launched a A$1 million (above $700,000) research project that intends to empower accurate prescription of medications for patients dealing with kidney failure.WHAT IT'S ABOUTThe research institute, in tandem with the Northern Territory Health and the University of South Australia, will develop this clinical decision support tool for healthcare professionals that will be delivered as a standalone service via an application program interface, making it easy to integrate with existing prescribing or dispensing software systems.After analysing the context of medicine prescription and dispensing in the first research phase, they will create a renal dosage calculator algorithm based on NT Health's clinical data sets and other available medicine knowledge databases. In the second phase, they will simulate the impact of the tool in the cheap kamagra supplier urban and rural primacy clinics in NT and South Australia.

The final research phase involves a clinical pilot in NT's urban and remote primary health care centres and community pharmacy settings. WHY IT MATTERSInaccurate medicine selection and dosing for people with impaired kidneys is a "common and preventable issue," according to the UniSA research team cheap kamagra supplier. They noted that about a quarter of patients receive "inappropriate" medications, which in turn contribute to up to a tenth of adverse reactions that could lead to hospital admissions."A digital solution targeting this problem has the potential to prevent 25,000 medication-related admissions annually," said Libby Roughead, a professor at UniSA who also leads the university's research team.

Moreover, medication-related problems account for over 250,000 yearly hospital admissions, costing A$1.4 billion ($1 billion) each year, noted Dr Terry Sweeney, CEO of DHCRC.About 700,000 Australians over the age of 65 with renal function problems, as well cheap kamagra supplier as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, are targeted beneficiaries of the project, according to the DHCRC. It was mentioned that seven in 10 hospitalisations from chronic kidney disease occur among senior Australians while one in five indigenous Australians has shown signs of the disease.The research project, said Bhavini Patel, executive director of Medicines Management at NT Health, will "ensure safer prescribing and dispensing of medications for people living with kidney disease and reduce the risk of medication associated renal problems".THE LARGER TRENDLast month, the DHCRC set up a $2.1 million research project that will improve clinical decision support tools across regional and metropolitan hospitals settings in the country. The three-year project aims to enhance the fit cheap kamagra supplier between decision support technologies and their users.

To achieve this, it will make use of Alcidion's Miya Precision system to point out priority areas where decision support tools will add value. In September, the research firm also launched a project, together with UniSA and SA Health, to create a digital analytics tool that predicts the risk of adverse events in hospitals cheap kamagra supplier. It was cheap kamagra supplier said that the tool will be used to develop a visual programme that will provide clinicians and administrators with real-time insights describing a hospital's risk exposure.

The project ultimately intends to resolve patient safety issues, such as ramping, suicide prevention, medication and falls incidents.The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a reminder this week to cheap kamagra supplier critical infrastructure partners that bad actors are unlikely to take a break for the holiday season. Although neither CISA nor FBI have identified specific threats looming, they noted that previous incidents over U.S.

Holidays have set a cheap kamagra supplier concerning precedent. "Recent history tells us that this could be a time when these persistent cyber actors halfway across the world are looking for ways – big and small – to disrupt the critical networks and systems belonging to organizations, businesses and critical infrastructure," said the agencies in a joint bulletin. WHY IT MATTERS As CISA and the FBI pointed out, holidays such as Thanksgiving often mean offices are cheap kamagra supplier closed, and security professionals may be less attentive.

Still, they said, organizations can take several actions to try and proactively protect against cyberattacks. They recommended that all entities, especially cheap kamagra supplier critical infrastructure partners, to implement best practices, including. Identifying IT security employees for weekends and holidays who would be available to surge during these times in the event of an incident Implementing multi-factor authentication for remote access and administrative accounts Mandating strong passwords and ensuring they are not reused across multiple accountsEnsuring remote desktop protocol is secure and monitoredReminding employees not to click on suspicious links, and conducting exercises to raise awareness The agencies also urged organizations to stay vigilant against known cybercrime techniques, such as phishing scams, fraudulent sites spoofing reputable businesses and unencrypted financial transactions.

"Finally – to reduce the risk of severe business/functional degradation should your organization fall victim to a ransomware attack – review and, if needed, update your incident response and communication plans," said the agencies, directing cheap kamagra supplier organizations to ransomware awareness resources regarding holidays and weekends. "These plans should list actions to take – and contacts to reach out to – should your organization be impacted by a ransomware incident." THE LARGER TRENDThis isn't the first time CISA and the FBI have issued a holiday ransomware warning. Before Labor Day weekend, cheap kamagra supplier the agencies raised similar concerns, pointing to attacks on critical infrastructure on Mother's Day, Memorial Day and Independence Day.

It also seems, however, that hackers need no special occasion to cause a ruckus. This year has seen a rise in cyber attacks cheap kamagra supplier and data breaches in the healthcare sector, with more than 40 million patient records compromised by incidents reported to the federal government in 2021. ON THE RECORD "As Americans prepare to hit the highways and airports this Thanksgiving holiday, CISA and cheap kamagra supplier the FBI are reminding critical infrastructure partners that malicious cyber actors aren’t making the same holiday plans as you," said the agencies in the bulletin.

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.Twitter. @kjercichEmail. Kjercich@himss.orgHealthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.Apple announced this week that it was suing NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance technology company, in federal court for allegedly accessing users' devices without authorization.

In addition to damages, the tech giant is seeking to block NSO Group from accessing or using any Apple products, or developing spyware that could be used on Apple products in the future. "State-sponsored actors like the NSO Group spend millions of dollars on sophisticated surveillance technologies without effective accountability," said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, in a statement. "That needs to change." Apple devices are "the most secure consumer hardware on the market," he contended, but "private companies developing state-sponsored spyware have become even more dangerous.

"While these cybersecurity threats only impact a very small number of our customers, we take any attack on our users very seriously, and we’re constantly working to strengthen the security and privacy protections in iOS to keep all our users safe," Federighi added. NSO Group offered a statement to Healthcare IT News in response to requests for comment. "Thousands of lives were saved around the world thanks to NSO Group's technologies used by its customers," said NSO Group representatives.

"Pedophiles and terrorists can freely operate in technological safe-havens, and we provide governments the lawful tools to fight it. NSO Group will continue to advocate for the truth." WHY IT MATTERS NSO Group says its surveillance technology is used by government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to track criminals. But as Apple outlines in its complaint, the company's spyware has reportedly been used against journalists, human rights activists, dissidents, public officials and others.This month, the U.S.

Department of Commerce included the NSO Group in its Entity List for "engaging in activities that are contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States." Specifically, the agency said that NSO Group had enabled foreign governments, via its spyware, to "maliciously target" individuals such as embassy workers and academics and to "conduct transnational repression." In its complaint, Apple zeroed in on "FORCEDENTRY," an exploit for a vulnerability used to break into a victim's device and install NSO Group's Pegasus spyware product. The company accused attackers of creating Apple IDs to send malicious data to a victim's device, which then allowed NSO Group or its clients to surreptitiously deliver Pegasus. "On information and belief, Defendants provide consulting and expert services to their clients, assist them with their deployment and use of Pegasus, and participate in their attacks on Apple devices, servers and users," according to the complaint.

Although Apple has not observed any evidence of successful remote attacks against devices running iOS 15 or later, it said that each attack carries substantial costs for the company, including the necessity to redirect resources. "In the meantime, on information and belief, Defendants continue with their pernicious efforts to target and harm Apple and its customers by infecting, exploiting, and misusing Apple devices and software," said the complaint. The company also announced that it would be contributing any damages from the lawsuit, plus an extra $10 million, to organizations pursuing cybersurveillance research and advocacy.

"At Apple, we are always working to defend our users against even the most complex cyberattacks," said Ivan Krstić, head of Apple Security Engineering and Architecture, in a statement. "The steps we’re taking today will send a clear message. In a free society, it is unacceptable to weaponize powerful state-sponsored spyware against those who seek to make the world a better place." THE LARGER TRENDNation-states have increasingly relied on sophisticated software to carry out governmental objectives.

As Errol Weiss, H-ISAC chief security officer, pointed out in an interview with Healthcare IT News earlier this month, cyber-offensive capabilities have now become the norm, not the exception."A few years ago, you could count maybe a few dozen countries that had a decent, offensive cyber capability. And now it's probably the opposite," he said. The U.S.

Government has raised the alarm about these developments, most recently regarding an Iran-sponsored hacker group targeting healthcare.ON THE RECORD "Our threat intelligence and engineering teams work around the clock to analyze new threats, rapidly patch vulnerabilities, and develop industry-leading new protections in our software and silicon," said Apple's Krstić in a statement."Apple runs one of the most sophisticated security engineering operations in the world, and we will continue to work tirelessly to protect our users from abusive state-sponsored actors like NSO Group," he said. Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.Twitter. @kjercichEmail.

Kjercich@himss.orgHealthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication..

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Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking and http://knittedmilk.co.uk/categories/science/rsa-animate-changing-education-paradigms/ Delay kamagra fast delivery in Effective Date Under 5 U.S.C. 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the agency is required to publish a notice of the proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register before the provisions of a rule take effect. Similarly, section 1871(b)(1) of the Act requires the Secretary to provide for notice of the proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register and provide a Start Printed Page 67875 period of not less than 60 days for public comment.

In addition, section 553(d) of the APA, and section 1871(e)(1)(B)(i) of the Act mandate a 30-day delay in effective date after issuance or publication of a kamagra fast delivery rule. Sections 553(b)(B) and 553(d)(3) of the APA provide for exceptions from the notice and comment and delay in effective date APA requirements. In cases in which these exceptions apply, sections 1871(b)(2)(C) and 1871(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act provide exceptions from the notice and 60-day comment period and delay in effective date requirements of the Act as well.

Section 553(b)(B) of the APA and section 1871(b)(2)(C) of the Act authorize an agency to dispense with normal rulemaking requirements for good cause if the kamagra fast delivery agency makes a finding that the notice and comment process are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. In addition, both section 553(d)(3) of the APA and section 1871(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act allow the agency to avoid the 30-day delay in effective date where such delay is contrary to the public interest and an agency includes a statement of support. We believe that this final rule correction does not constitute a rule that would be subject to the notice and comment or delayed effective date requirements.

This document corrects typographical errors in the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule and kamagra fast delivery the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule correcting amendment, but does not make substantive changes to the policies or payment methodologies that were adopted in the final rule. As a result, this final rule correction is intended to ensure that the information in the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects the policies adopted in that document. In addition, even if this were a rule to which the notice and comment procedures and delayed effective date requirements applied, we find that there is good cause to waive such requirements.

Undertaking further notice and comment procedures to incorporate the corrections in this document into the final rule or delaying the effective date would be contrary to the public interest because it is in the public's interest for providers to receive appropriate kamagra fast delivery payments in as timely a manner as possible, and to ensure that the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects our policies. Furthermore, such procedures would be unnecessary, as we are not altering our payment methodologies or policies, but rather, we are simply implementing correctly the methodologies and policies that we previously proposed, requested comment on, and subsequently finalized. This final rule correction is intended solely to ensure that the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects these payment methodologies and policies.

Therefore, we kamagra fast delivery believe we have good cause to waive the notice and comment and effective date requirements. Moreover, even if these corrections were considered to be retroactive rulemaking, they would be authorized under section 1871(e)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act, which permits the Secretary to issue a rule for the Medicare program with retroactive effect if the failure to do so would be contrary to the public interest. As we have explained previously, we believe it would be contrary to the public interest not to implement the corrections in this final rule correction because it is in the public's interest for providers to receive appropriate payments in as timely a manner as possible, and to ensure that the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects our policies.

IV. Correction of Errors A. Correction of Errors in the Final Rule In FR Doc.

2021-16519 of August 13, 2021(86 FR 44774), we are making the following corrections. 1. On page 44974, in the table titled “Continuation of Technologies Approved for FY 2021 New Technology Add-On Payments and Still Considered New for FY 2022, the entry in row 3 is corrected to read as follows.

B. Correction of Errors in the Correcting Document In FR Doc. 2021-22724 of October 20, 2021 (86 FR 58019), we are making the following corrections.

1. On page 58023, lower half of the page (following the table), third column. A.

Preceding the beginning of the partial paragraph (before item 10), the paragraph is corrected by adding items 7 through 9 to read as follows. €œ7. On page 45133, top of the page, a.

First column, partial paragraph, (1) Line 4, the figure “$31,500” is corrected to read “$63,000”. (2) Line 5, the figure “$10,500” is corrected to read “$21,000”. B.

Second column, partial paragraph, last line, the figure “$20,475” is corrected to read “$40,950”. 8. On page 45150, second column, last full paragraph, lines 27 through 31, the phrase “in combination with one of the following ICD-10-CM codes.

D65 (Disseminated intravascular coagulation) or D68.2 (Hereditary deficiency of other clotting factors).” is corrected to read “in combination with one of the following ICD-10-CM codes. D62 (Acute posthemorrhagic anemia), D65 (Disseminated intravascular coagulation), D68.2 (Hereditary deficiency of other clotting factors), D68.4 (Acquired coagulation factor deficiency) or D68.9 (Coagulation defect, unspecified).”. Start Printed Page 67876 9.

On page 45157, top third of the page, first column, first partial paragraph, last line, the phrase, “technology group 6).” is corrected to read “technology group 6) in combination with the following ICD-10-CM codes. Y95 (Nosocomial condition) and one of the following. J14 (Pneumonia due to Hemophilus influenzae) J15.0 (Pneumonia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae), J15.1 (Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas), J15.5 (Pneumonia due to Escherichia coli), J15.6 (Pneumonia due to other Gram-negative bacteria), J15.8 (Pneumonia due to other specified bacteria), or J95.851 (Ventilator associated pneumonia) and one of the following.

B96.1 (Klebsiella pneumoniae [K. Pneumoniae] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.20 (Unspecified Escherichia coli [E. Coli] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.21 (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli [E.

Coli] [STEC] O157 as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.22 (Other specified Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli [E. Coli] [STEC] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.23 (Unspecified Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli [E. Coli] [STEC] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere, B96.29 (Other Escherichia coli [E.

Coli] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.3 (Hemophilus influenzae [H. Influenzae] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere, B96.5 (Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), or B96.89 (Other specified bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere).” b. Within the partial paragraph (item 10), line 8, the code number “J14.0” is corrected to read “J14”.

Start Signature Karuna Seshasai, Executive Secretary to the Department, Department of Health and Human Services. End Signature End Supplemental Information [FR Doc. 2021-26069 Filed 11-29-21.

8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4120-01-PStart Preamble Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services, Health and Human Services (HHS). Notice.

The Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public comment on the proposed action.

Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden. Comments must be received by January 25, 2022. When commenting, please reference the document identifier or OMB control number.

To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted in any one of the following ways. 1. Electronically.

You may send your comments electronically to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for “Comment or Submission” or “More Search Options” to find the information collection document(s) that are accepting comments. 2.

By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address. CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Regulations Development, Attention.

Document Identifier/OMB Control Number. ___, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make your request using one of following.

1. Access CMS' website address at website address at https://www.cms.gov/​Regulations-and-Guidance/​Legislation/​PaperworkReductionActof1995/​PRA-Listing.html. Start Further Info William N.

Parham at (410) 786-4669. End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information Contents This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated with the following information collections. More detailed information can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated materials (see ADDRESSES ).

CMS-10599 Review Choice Demonstration for Home Health Services CMS-10433 Continuation of Data Collection to Support QHP Certification and other Financial Management and Exchange Operations CMS-10330 Notice of Rescission of Coverage and Disclosure Requirements for Patient Protection under the Affordable Care Act CMS-10780 Requirements Related to Surprise Billing. Qualifying Payment Amount, Notice and Consent, and Disclosure on Patient Protections Against Balance Billing, and State Law Opt-in Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor.

The term “collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires federal agencies to publish a Start Printed Page 67474 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval.

To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice. Information Collection 1. Type of Information Collection Request.

Revision of a currently approved collection. Title of Information Collection. Review Choice Demonstration for Home see here Health Services.

Use. Section 402(a)(1)(J) of the Social Security Amendments of 1967 (42 U.S.C. 1395b-1(a)(1)(J)) authorizes the Secretary to “develop or demonstrate improved methods for the investigation and prosecution of fraud in the provision of care or services under the health programs established by the Social Security Act (the Act).” Pursuant to this authority, the CMS seeks to develop and implement a Medicare demonstration project, which CMS believes will help assist in developing improved procedures for the identification, investigation, and prosecution of Medicare fraud occurring among Home Health Agencies (HHA) providing services to Medicare beneficiaries.

This revised demonstration helps assist in developing improved procedures for the identification, investigation, and prosecution of potential Medicare fraud. The demonstration helps make sure that payments for home health services are appropriate through either pre-claim or postpayment review, thereby working towards the prevention and identification of potential fraud, waste, and abuse. The protection of Medicare Trust Funds from improper payments.

And the reduction of Medicare appeals. CMS has implemented the demonstration in Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas with the option to expand to other states in the Palmetto/JM jurisdiction. Under this demonstration, CMS offers choices for providers to demonstrate their compliance with CMS' home health policies.

Providers in the demonstration states may participate in either 100 percent pre-claim review or 100 percent postpayment review. These providers will continue to be subject to a review method until the HHA reaches the target affirmation or claim approval rate. Once a HHA reaches the target pre-claim review affirmation or post-payment review claim approval rate, it may choose to be relieved from claim reviews, except for a spot check of their claims to ensure continued compliance.

Providers who do not wish to participate in either 100 percent pre-claim or postpayment reviews have the option to furnish home health services and submit the associated claim for payment without undergoing such reviews. However, they will receive a 25 percent payment reduction on all claims submitted for home health services and may be eligible for review by the Recovery Audit Contractors. The information required under this collection is required by Medicare contractors to determine proper payment or if there is a suspicion of fraud.

Under the pre-claim review option, the HHA sends the pre-claim review request along with all required documentation to the Medicare contractor for review prior to submitting the final claim for payment. If a claim is submitted without a pre-claim review decision one file, the Medicare contractor will request the information from the HHA to determine if payment is appropriate. For the postpayment review option, the Medicare contractor will also request the information from the HHA provider who submitted the claim for payment from the Medicare program to determine if payment was appropriate.

Form Number. CMS-10599 (OMB control number. 0938-1311).

Frequency. Frequently, until the HHA reaches the target affirmation or claim approval threshold and then occasionally. Affected Public.

Private Sector (Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profits). Number of Respondents. 3,631.

Number of Responses. 1,467,243. Total Annual Hours.

744,5143. (For questions regarding this collection contact Jennifer McMullen (410)786-7635.) 2. Type of Information Collection Request.

Revision of a currently approved collection. Title of Information Collection. Continuation of Data Collection to Support QHP Certification and other Financial Management and Exchange Operations.

Use. As directed by the rule Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans. Exchange Standards for Employers (77 FR 18310) (Exchange rule), each Exchange is responsible for the certification and offering of Qualified Health Plans (QHPs).

To offer insurance through an Exchange, a health insurance issuer must have its health plans certified as QHPs by the Exchange. A QHP must meet certain necessary minimum certification standards, such as network adequacy, inclusion of Essential Community Providers (ECPs), and non-discrimination. The Exchange is responsible for ensuring that QHPs meet these minimum certification standards as described in the Exchange rule under 45 CFR 155 and 156, based on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), as well as other standards determined by the Exchange.

Issuers can offer individual and small group market plans outside of the Exchanges that are not QHPs. Form Number. CMS-10433 (OMB control number.

Affected Public. Private sector, State, Local, or Tribal Governments, Business or other for-profits. Number of Respondents.

Total Annual Hours. 71,660. (For questions regarding this collection, contact Nicole Levesque at (617) 565-3138).

3. Type of Information Collection Request. Extension of a currently approved collection.

Title of Information Collection. Notice of Rescission of Coverage and Disclosure Requirements for Patient Protection under the Affordable Care Act. Use.

Sections 2712 and 2719A of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), as added by the Affordable Care Act, contain rescission notice, and patient protection disclosure requirements that are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, amended section 2719A of the PHS Act to sunset when the new emergency services protections under the No Surprises Act take effect. The provisions of section 2719A of the PHS Act will no longer apply with respect to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.

The No Surprises Act re-codified the patient protections related to choice of health care professional under section 2719A of the PHS Act in newly added section 9822 of the Internal Revenue Code, section 722 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and section 2799A-7 of the PHS Act and extended the applicability of these provisions to grandfathered health plans for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022. The rescission notice will be used by health plans to provide advance notice to certain individuals that their coverage may be rescinded as a result of fraud or intentional misrepresentation of material fact. The patient protection notification will be used by health plans to inform certain individuals of their right to choose a primary care provider or pediatrician and to use obstetrical/gynecological services without prior authorization.

The related provisions are finalized in the 2015 final regulations titled “Final Rules under the Affordable Care Act for Grandfathered Plans, Preexisting Condition Exclusions, Start Printed Page 67475 Lifetime and Annual Limits, Rescissions, Dependent Coverage, Appeals, and Patient Protections” (80 FR 72192, November 18, 2015) and 2021 interim final regulations titled “Requirements Related to Surprise Billing. Part I” (86 FR 36872, July 13, 2021). The 2015 final regulations also require that, if State law prohibits balance billing, or a plan or issuer is contractually responsible for any amounts balanced billed by an out-of-network emergency services provider, a plan or issuer must provide a participant, beneficiary or enrollee adequate and prominent notice of their lack of financial responsibility with respect to amounts balanced billed in order to prevent inadvertent payment by the individual.

Plans and issuers will not be required to provide this notice for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022. Form Number. CMS-10330 (OMB control number.

Affected Public. State, Local, or Tribal Governments, Private Sector. Number of Respondents.

Total Annual Hours. 814. (For policy questions regarding this collection, contact Usree Bandyopadhyay at (410) 786-6650.) 4.

Type of Information Collection Request. Extension of a currently approved collection. Title of Information Collection.

Requirements Related to Surprise Billing. Qualifying Payment Amount, Notice and Consent, Disclosure on Patient Protections Against Balance Billing, and State Law Opt-in. Use.

On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L.

Quality Programs cheap kamagra supplier and Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program Requirements for Eligible Hospitals buy cheap kamagra online and Critical Access Hospitals. Changes to Medicaid Provider Enrollment. And Changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program” (hereinafter referred to as the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule), there were a number of technical and typographical errors.

To correct the typographical and technical errors in the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule, cheap kamagra supplier we published a correcting document that appeared in the October 20, 2021, Federal Register (86 FR 58019) (hereinafter referred to as the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS correcting amendment). In FR Doc. 2021-22724 of October 20, 2021 (86 FR 58019), there was an inadvertent omission and typographical error that are identified and corrected in this correcting document.

This document also corrects additional typographical errors in FR cheap kamagra supplier Doc. 2021-16519 of August 13, 2021 (86 FR 44774). The corrections in this correcting document are applicable to discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2021, as if they had been included in the document that appeared in the August 13, 2021, Federal Register.

II cheap kamagra supplier. Summary of Errors A. Summary of Errors in the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS Final Rule On page 44974, in the table displaying the continuation of technologies approved for FY 2021 new technology add-on payments and still considered new for FY 2022, we are correcting inadvertent typographical errors in the coding used to identify cases involving the use of the BAROSTIM NEOTM System that are eligible for new technology add-on payments.

B cheap kamagra supplier. Summary of Errors in the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS Correcting Document On page 58023 in section IV.A. Of the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS correcting amendment, we inadvertently omitted corrections to pages 45133, 45150, and 45157 of the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule, as summarized on page 58019 in section II.A.

Of the FY 2022 cheap kamagra supplier IPPS/LTCH PPS correcting amendment. We are also correcting an inadvertent typographical error in the coding used to identify cases involving the use of RECARBRIOTM that are eligible for new technology add-on payments. III.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking and Delay cheap kamagra supplier in Effective Date Under 5 U.S.C. 553(b) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), the agency is required to publish a notice of the proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register before the provisions of a rule take effect. Similarly, section 1871(b)(1) of the Act requires the Secretary to provide for notice of the proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register and provide a Start Printed Page 67875 period of not less than 60 days for public comment.

In addition, section 553(d) of the APA, and section cheap kamagra supplier 1871(e)(1)(B)(i) of the Act mandate a 30-day delay in effective date after issuance or publication of a rule. Sections 553(b)(B) and 553(d)(3) of the APA provide for exceptions from the notice and comment and delay in effective date APA requirements. In cases in which these exceptions apply, sections 1871(b)(2)(C) and 1871(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act provide exceptions from the notice and 60-day comment period and delay in effective date requirements of the Act as well.

Section 553(b)(B) of the APA and section 1871(b)(2)(C) of the Act authorize an agency to dispense with normal rulemaking requirements for good cause if the agency makes cheap kamagra supplier a finding that the notice and comment process are impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest. In addition, both section 553(d)(3) of the APA and section 1871(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the Act allow the agency to avoid the 30-day delay in effective date where such delay is contrary to the public interest and an agency includes a statement of support. We believe that this final rule correction does not constitute a rule that would be subject to the notice and comment or delayed effective date requirements.

This document corrects typographical errors in the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule and the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule correcting amendment, but does not make substantive cheap kamagra supplier changes to the policies or payment methodologies that were adopted in the final rule. As a result, this final rule correction is intended to ensure that the information in the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects the policies adopted in that document. In addition, even if this were a rule to which the notice and comment procedures and delayed effective date requirements applied, we find that there is good cause to waive such requirements.

Undertaking further notice and comment procedures to incorporate the corrections in this document into the final rule or delaying the effective date would be contrary to the public interest because it is in the public's interest for providers to receive cheap kamagra supplier appropriate payments in as timely a manner as possible, and to ensure that the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects our policies. Furthermore, such procedures would be unnecessary, as we are not altering our payment methodologies or policies, but rather, we are simply implementing correctly the methodologies and policies that we previously proposed, requested comment on, and subsequently finalized. This final rule correction is intended solely to ensure that the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects these payment methodologies and policies.

Therefore, we believe we have good cause to waive the notice and comment and effective date cheap kamagra supplier requirements. Moreover, even if these corrections were considered to be retroactive rulemaking, they would be authorized under section 1871(e)(1)(A)(ii) of the Act, which permits the Secretary to issue a rule for the Medicare program with retroactive effect if the failure to do so would be contrary to the public interest. As we have explained previously, we believe it would be contrary to the public interest not to implement the corrections in this final rule correction because it is in the public's interest for providers to receive appropriate payments in as timely a manner as possible, and to ensure that the FY 2022 IPPS/LTCH PPS final rule accurately reflects our policies.

IV. Correction of Errors A. Correction of Errors in the Final Rule In FR Doc.

2021-16519 of August 13, 2021(86 FR 44774), we are making the following corrections. 1. On page 44974, in the table titled “Continuation of Technologies Approved for FY 2021 New Technology Add-On Payments and Still Considered New for FY 2022, the entry in row 3 is corrected to read as follows.

B. Correction of Errors in the Correcting Document In FR Doc. 2021-22724 of October 20, 2021 (86 FR 58019), we are making the following corrections.

1. On page 58023, lower half of the page (following the table), third column. A.

Preceding the beginning of the partial paragraph (before item 10), the paragraph is corrected by adding items 7 through 9 to read as follows. €œ7. On page 45133, top of the page, a.

First column, partial paragraph, (1) Line 4, the figure “$31,500” is corrected to read “$63,000”. (2) Line 5, the figure “$10,500” is corrected to read “$21,000”. B.

Second column, partial paragraph, last line, the figure “$20,475” is corrected to read “$40,950”. 8. On page 45150, second column, last full paragraph, lines 27 through 31, the phrase “in combination with one of the following ICD-10-CM codes.

D65 (Disseminated intravascular coagulation) or D68.2 (Hereditary deficiency of other clotting factors).” is corrected to read “in combination with one of the following ICD-10-CM codes. D62 (Acute posthemorrhagic anemia), D65 (Disseminated intravascular coagulation), D68.2 (Hereditary deficiency of other clotting factors), D68.4 (Acquired coagulation factor deficiency) or D68.9 (Coagulation defect, unspecified).”. Start Printed Page 67876 9.

On page 45157, top third of the page, first column, first partial paragraph, last line, the phrase, “technology group 6).” is corrected to read “technology group 6) in combination with the following ICD-10-CM codes. Y95 (Nosocomial condition) and one of the following. J14 (Pneumonia due to Hemophilus influenzae) J15.0 (Pneumonia due to Klebsiella pneumoniae), J15.1 (Pneumonia due to Pseudomonas), J15.5 (Pneumonia due to Escherichia coli), J15.6 (Pneumonia due to other Gram-negative bacteria), J15.8 (Pneumonia due to other specified bacteria), or J95.851 (Ventilator associated pneumonia) and one of the following.

B96.1 (Klebsiella pneumoniae [K. Pneumoniae] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.20 (Unspecified Escherichia coli [E. Coli] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.21 (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli [E.

Coli] [STEC] O157 as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.22 (Other specified Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli [E. Coli] [STEC] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.23 (Unspecified Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli [E. Coli] [STEC] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere, B96.29 (Other Escherichia coli [E.

Coli] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), B96.3 (Hemophilus influenzae [H. Influenzae] as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere, B96.5 (Pseudomonas (aeruginosa) (mallei) (pseudomallei) as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere), or B96.89 (Other specified bacterial agents as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere).” b. Within the partial paragraph (item 10), line 8, the code number “J14.0” is corrected to read “J14”.

Start Signature Karuna Seshasai, Executive Secretary to the Department, Department of Health and Human Services. End Signature End Supplemental Information [FR Doc. 2021-26069 Filed 11-29-21.

8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4120-01-PStart Preamble Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services, Health and Human Services (HHS). Notice.

The Centers for Medicare &. Medicaid Services (CMS) is announcing an opportunity for the public to comment on CMS' intention to collect information from the public. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA), federal agencies are required to publish notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information (including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information) and to allow 60 days for public comment on the proposed action.

Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding our burden estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information, including the necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions, the accuracy of the estimated burden, ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected, and the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden. Comments must be received by January 25, 2022. When commenting, please reference the document identifier or OMB control number.

To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted in any one of the following ways. 1. Electronically.

You may send your comments electronically to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for “Comment or Submission” or “More Search Options” to find the information collection document(s) that are accepting comments. 2.

By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address. CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Regulations Development, Attention.

Document Identifier/OMB Control Number. ___, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850. To obtain copies of a supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed collection(s) summarized in this notice, you may make your request using one of following.

1. Access CMS' website address at website address at https://www.cms.gov/​Regulations-and-Guidance/​Legislation/​PaperworkReductionActof1995/​PRA-Listing.html. Start Further Info William N.

Parham at (410) 786-4669. End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information Contents This notice sets out a summary of the use and burden associated with the following information collections. More detailed information can be found in each collection's supporting statement and associated materials (see ADDRESSES ).

CMS-10599 Review Choice Demonstration for Home Health Services CMS-10433 Continuation of Data Collection to Support QHP Certification and other Financial Management and Exchange Operations CMS-10330 Notice of Rescission of Coverage and Disclosure Requirements for Patient Protection under the Affordable Care Act CMS-10780 Requirements Related to Surprise Billing. Qualifying Payment Amount, Notice and Consent, and Disclosure on Patient Protections Against Balance Billing, and State Law Opt-in Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), federal agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor.

The term “collection of information” is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA requires federal agencies to publish a Start Printed Page 67474 60-day notice in the Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including each proposed extension or reinstatement of an existing collection of information, before submitting the collection to OMB for approval.

To comply with this requirement, CMS is publishing this notice. Information Collection 1. Type of Information Collection Request.

Revision of a currently approved collection. Title of Information Collection. Review Choice Demonstration for Home Health Services.

Use. Section 402(a)(1)(J) of the Social Security Amendments of 1967 (42 U.S.C. 1395b-1(a)(1)(J)) authorizes the Secretary to “develop or demonstrate improved methods for the investigation and prosecution of fraud in the provision of care or services under the health programs established by the Social Security Act (the Act).” Pursuant to this authority, the CMS seeks to develop and implement a Medicare demonstration project, which CMS believes will help assist in developing improved procedures for the identification, investigation, and prosecution of Medicare fraud occurring among Home Health Agencies (HHA) providing services to Medicare beneficiaries.

This revised demonstration helps assist in developing improved procedures for the identification, investigation, and prosecution of potential Medicare fraud. The demonstration helps make sure that payments for home health services are appropriate through either pre-claim or postpayment review, thereby working towards the prevention and identification of potential fraud, waste, and abuse. The protection of Medicare Trust Funds from improper payments.

And the reduction of Medicare appeals. CMS has implemented the demonstration in Illinois, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas with the option to expand to other states in the Palmetto/JM jurisdiction. Under this demonstration, CMS offers choices for providers to demonstrate their compliance with CMS' home health policies.

Providers in the demonstration states may participate in either 100 percent pre-claim review or 100 percent postpayment review. These providers will continue to be subject to a review method until the HHA reaches the target affirmation or claim approval rate. Once a HHA reaches the target pre-claim review affirmation or post-payment review claim approval rate, it may choose to be relieved from claim reviews, except for a spot check of their claims to ensure continued compliance.

Providers who do not wish to participate in either 100 percent pre-claim or postpayment reviews have the option to furnish home health services and submit the associated claim for payment without undergoing such reviews. However, they will receive a 25 percent payment reduction on all claims submitted for home health services and may be eligible for review by the Recovery Audit Contractors. The information required under this collection is required by Medicare contractors to determine proper payment or if there is a suspicion of fraud.

Under the pre-claim review option, the HHA sends the pre-claim review request along with all required documentation to the Medicare contractor for review prior to submitting the final claim for payment. If a claim is submitted without a pre-claim review decision one file, the Medicare contractor will request the information from the HHA to determine if payment is appropriate. For the postpayment review option, the Medicare contractor will also request the information from the HHA provider who submitted the claim for payment from the Medicare program to determine if payment was appropriate.

Form Number. CMS-10599 (OMB control number. 0938-1311).

Frequency. Frequently, until the HHA reaches the target affirmation or claim approval threshold and then occasionally. Affected Public.

Private Sector (Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profits). Number of Respondents. 3,631.

Number of Responses. 1,467,243. Total Annual Hours.

744,5143. (For questions regarding this collection contact Jennifer McMullen (410)786-7635.) 2. Type of Information Collection Request.

Revision of a currently approved collection. Title of Information Collection. Continuation of Data Collection to Support QHP Certification and other Financial Management and Exchange Operations.

Use. As directed by the rule Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans. Exchange Standards for Employers (77 FR 18310) (Exchange rule), each Exchange is responsible for the certification and offering of Qualified Health Plans (QHPs).

To offer insurance through an Exchange, a health insurance issuer must have its health plans certified as QHPs by the Exchange. A QHP must meet certain necessary minimum certification standards, such as network adequacy, inclusion of Essential Community Providers (ECPs), and non-discrimination. The Exchange is responsible for ensuring that QHPs meet these minimum certification standards as described in the Exchange rule under 45 CFR 155 and 156, based on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), as well as other standards determined by the Exchange.

Issuers can offer individual and small group market plans outside of the Exchanges that are not QHPs. Form Number. CMS-10433 (OMB control number.

Affected Public. Private sector, State, Local, or Tribal Governments, Business or other for-profits. Number of Respondents.

Total Annual Hours. 71,660. (For questions regarding this collection, contact Nicole Levesque at (617) 565-3138).

3. Type of Information Collection Request. Extension of a currently approved collection.

Title of Information Collection. Notice of Rescission of Coverage and Disclosure Requirements for Patient Protection under the Affordable Care Act. Use.

Sections 2712 and 2719A of the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act), as added by the Affordable Care Act, contain rescission notice, and patient protection disclosure requirements that are subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The No Surprises Act, enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, amended section 2719A of the PHS Act to sunset when the new emergency services protections under the No Surprises Act take effect. The provisions of section 2719A of the PHS Act will no longer apply with respect to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022.

The No Surprises Act re-codified the patient protections related to choice of health care professional under section 2719A of the PHS Act in newly added section 9822 of the Internal Revenue Code, section 722 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and section 2799A-7 of the PHS Act and extended the applicability of these provisions to grandfathered health plans for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022. The rescission notice will be used by health plans to provide advance notice to certain individuals that their coverage may be rescinded as a result of fraud or intentional misrepresentation of material fact. The patient protection notification will be used by health plans to inform certain individuals of their right to choose a primary care provider or pediatrician and to use obstetrical/gynecological services without prior authorization.

The related provisions are finalized in the 2015 final regulations titled “Final Rules under the Affordable Care Act for Grandfathered Plans, Preexisting Condition Exclusions, Start Printed Page 67475 Lifetime and Annual Limits, Rescissions, Dependent Coverage, Appeals, and Patient Protections” (80 FR 72192, November 18, 2015) and 2021 interim final regulations titled “Requirements Related to Surprise Billing. Part I” (86 FR 36872, July 13, 2021). The 2015 final regulations also require that, if State law prohibits balance billing, or a plan or issuer is contractually responsible for any amounts balanced billed by an out-of-network emergency services provider, a plan or issuer must provide a participant, beneficiary or enrollee adequate and prominent notice of their lack of financial responsibility with respect to amounts balanced billed in order to prevent inadvertent payment by the individual.

Plans and issuers will not be required to provide this notice for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022. Form Number. CMS-10330 (OMB control number.

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By Cara MurezHealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, kamagra without prescription Dec. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A condition called lymphedema is a well-known side effect of breast cancer treatment that can lead to swelling in the arms and legs. New research suggests that Black women experience are at more than three times the kamagra without prescription risk of this painful issue compared to white women. "Lymphedema worsens quality of life for breast cancer patients," said the study's lead author, Dr.

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"This study hints at some of the possible reasons for racial disparity, as women with lymphedema were more likely to undergo radiation therapy and chemotherapy before surgery," Bernik said. "Black women with lymphedema were also more likely to have a higher BMI [body mass index], a known risk factor for developing lymphedema. There very well may also be a genetic component but more study needs to be directed to the root causes of the problem," she added.For the study, the researchers kamagra without prescription enrolled more than 300 breast cancer patients and used arm volume measurements rather than more common self-reported experiences or diagnosis codes. The patients had undergone axillary lymph node dissection — surgical removal of lymph nodes — between November 2016 and March 2020.

The researchers measured patients' arm volume at baseline, after their surgery and at kamagra without prescription six-month intervals. The study defined lymphedema as relative volume change of 10% or greater from the baseline. At 24 months of follow-up, about 25% of the women had developed lymphedema. Black women had a 3.5-fold increased risk of lymphedema compared to white women, the kamagra without prescription findings showed.

Hispanic women also had greater odds of lymphedema than white women, with a threefold increased risk. The study authors kamagra without prescription noted that the Hispanic study population was small (just 6%), so further study would be necessary to confirm these findings.The type of treatment seemed to make a difference. Women who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy — chemo before surgery — and then lymph node removal were twice as likely to develop lymphedema as their counterparts who had upfront surgery followed by axillary lymph node dissection, the study found.Barrio said other research has proven that Black women are often diagnosed with later-stage breast cancer. They are thus more likely to need the axillary surgery that can increase risk for lymphedema.

Still, Black race was the strongest predictor of lymphedema development.Other factors associated with kamagra without prescription a higher risk of lymphedema were older age and increasing time from surgery.The findings will be presented this week at the breast cancer symposium. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. More informationThe kamagra without prescription U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on lymphedema.

SOURCES. Stephanie Bernik, MD, kamagra without prescription chief, breast surgery, Mount Sinai West and associate professor, breast surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, news release, Dec. 7, 2021.

By Cara cheap kamagra supplier MurezHealthDay https://kingdomconnection.eu/buy-seroquel-online-overnight ReporterTUESDAY, Dec. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A condition called lymphedema is a well-known side effect of breast cancer treatment that can lead to swelling in the arms and legs. New research suggests that Black women experience are at more than three times the risk cheap kamagra supplier of this painful issue compared to white women. "Lymphedema worsens quality of life for breast cancer patients," said the study's lead author, Dr.

Andrea Barrio. She is an associate attending physician in the breast service department at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.Understanding the links between race, cancer treatment and the effects of treatment could cheap kamagra supplier ultimately help improve quality of life for breast cancer patients and survivors, Barrio said in a news release from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.Lymphedema has been somewhat overlooked in the research arena, said Dr. Stephanie Bernik, an associate professor of breast surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She was not involved in the study cheap kamagra supplier.

"This study hints at some of the possible reasons for racial disparity, as women with lymphedema were more likely to undergo radiation therapy and chemotherapy before surgery," Bernik said. "Black women with lymphedema were also more likely to have a higher BMI [body mass index], a known risk factor for developing lymphedema. There very well may also cheap kamagra supplier be a genetic component but more study needs to be directed to the root causes of the problem," she added.For the study, the researchers enrolled more than 300 breast cancer patients and used arm volume measurements rather than more common self-reported experiences or diagnosis codes. The patients had undergone axillary lymph node dissection — surgical removal of lymph nodes — between November 2016 and March 2020.

The researchers measured patients' arm volume at cheap kamagra supplier baseline, after their surgery and at six-month intervals. The study defined lymphedema as relative volume change of 10% or greater from the baseline. At 24 months of follow-up, about 25% of the women had developed lymphedema. Black women had a 3.5-fold increased risk of cheap kamagra supplier lymphedema compared to white women, the findings showed.

Hispanic women also had greater odds of lymphedema than white women, with a threefold increased risk. The study authors noted that the Hispanic study population was small (just 6%), so further study cheap kamagra supplier would be necessary to confirm these findings.The type of treatment seemed to make a difference. Women who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy — chemo before surgery — and then lymph node removal were twice as likely to develop lymphedema as their counterparts who had upfront surgery followed by axillary lymph node dissection, the study found.Barrio said other research has proven that Black women are often diagnosed with later-stage breast cancer. They are thus more likely to need the axillary surgery that can increase risk for lymphedema.

Still, Black race was the strongest predictor of lymphedema development.Other factors associated with a higher risk of lymphedema were older age and increasing time cheap kamagra supplier from surgery.The findings will be presented this week at the breast cancer symposium. Findings presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. More informationThe cheap kamagra supplier U.S. National Cancer Institute has more on lymphedema.

SOURCES. Stephanie Bernik, MD, chief, breast surgery, Mount Sinai West and associate professor, breast surgery, Icahn School of Medicine cheap kamagra supplier at Mount Sinai, New York City. San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, news release, Dec. 7, 2021.

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How to click this cite buy kamagra tablets this article:Singh OP. Mental health in diverse India. Need for buy kamagra tablets advocacy.

Indian J Psychiatry 2021;63:315-6”Unity in diversity” - That is the theme of India which we are quite proud of. We have diversity in terms of geography – From the Himalayas to the buy kamagra tablets deserts to the seas. Every region has its own distinct culture and food.

There are so many varieties of dress and language. There is huge difference between the states in terms of development, attitude toward women, health infrastructure, child buy kamagra tablets mortality, and other sociodemographic development indexes. There is now ample evidence that sociocultural factors influence mental health.

Compton and Shim[1] have buy kamagra tablets described in their model of gene environment interaction how public policies and social norms act on the distribution of opportunity leading to social inequality, exclusion, poor environment, discrimination, and unemployment. This in turn leads to reduced options, poor choices, and high-risk behavior. Combining genetic vulnerability and early brain insult with buy kamagra tablets low access to health care leads to poor mental health, disease, and morbidity.When we come to the field of mental health, we find huge differences between different states of India.

The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was markedly different while it was 5.8 and 5.1 for Assam and Uttar Pradesh at the lower end of the spectrum, it was 13.9 and 14.1 for Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra at the higher end of the spectrum. There was also a huge difference between the rural areas and metros, particularly in terms of psychosis and bipolar disorders.[2] The difference was distinct not only in the prevalence but also in the type of psychiatric disorders. While the more developed southern states had higher prevalence of adult-onset disorders such as buy kamagra tablets depression and anxiety, the less developed northern states had more of childhood onset disorders.

This may be due to lead toxicity, nutritional status, and perinatal issues. Higher rates of depression and anxiety were buy kamagra tablets found in females. Apart from the genetic and hormonal factors, increase was attributed to gender discrimination, violence, sexual abuse, and adverse sociocultural norms.

Marriage was found to be a negative prognostic indicator contrary to the western norms.[3]Cultural influences on buy kamagra tablets the presentation of psychiatric disorders are apparent. Being in recessive position in the family is one of the strongest predictors of psychiatric illnesses and psychosomatic disorders. The presentation of depressive and anxiety disorders with more somatic symptoms results from inability to express due to unequal power equation in the family rather than the lack of expressions.

Apart from culture bound syndromes, the role of cultural idioms of distress in manifestations of psychiatric symptoms is well acknowledged.When we look into suicide data, buy kamagra tablets suicide in lower socioeconomic strata (annual income <1 lakh) was 92,083, in annual income group of 1–5 lakhs, it was 41,197, and in higher income group, it was 4726. Among those who committed suicide, 67% were young adults, 34% had family problems, 23.4% of suicides occurred in daily laborers, 10.1% in unemployed persons, and 7.4% in farmers.[4]While there are huge regional differences in mental health issues, the challenges in mental health in India remain stigma reduction, conducting research on efficacy of early intervention, reaching the unreached, gender sensitive services, making quality mental healthcare accessible and available, suicide prevention, reduction of substance abuse, implementing insurance for mental health and reducing out-of-pocket expense, and finally, improving care for homeless mentally ill. All these require sustained advocacy aimed at promoting rights of mentally ill buy kamagra tablets persons and reducing stigma and discriminations.

It consists of various actions aimed at changing the attitudinal barriers in achieving positive mental health outcomes in the general population. Psychiatrists as Mental Health Advocates There is a debate whether psychiatrists who are overburdened with clinical care could or should be involved in the advocacy activities which require skills in other areas, and sometimes, they find themselves at the receiving end of mental health advocates. We must be involved and pathways should be to build technical evidence for mapping out the problem, cost-effective interventions, and their efficacy.Advocacy can be done at buy kamagra tablets institutional level, organizational level, and individual level.

There has been huge work done in this regard at institution level. Important research work done in this regard includes the National Mental Health Survey, National Survey on buy kamagra tablets Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India, Global Burden of Diseases in Indian States, and Trajectory of Brain Development. Other activities include improving the infrastructure of mental hospitals, telepsychiatry services, provision of free drugs, providing training to increase the number of service providers.

Similarly, at organizational buy kamagra tablets level, the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) has filed a case for lacunae in Mental Health-care Act, 2017. Another case filed by the IPS lead to change of name of the film from “Mental Hai Kya” to “Judgemental Hai Kya.” In LGBT issue, the IPS statement was quoted in the final judgement on the decriminalization of homosexuality. The IPS has also started helplines at different levels and media interactions.

The Indian Journal of Psychiatry has also buy kamagra tablets come out with editorials highlighting the need of care of marginalized population such as migrant laborers and persons with dementia. At an individual level, we can be involved in ensuring quality treatment, respecting dignity and rights of the patient, sensitization of staff, working with patients and caregivers to plan services, and being involved locally in media and public awareness activities.The recent experience of Brazil is an eye opener where suicide reduction resulted from direct cash transfer pointing at the role of economic decision in suicide.[5] In India where economic inequality is increasing, male-to-female ratio is abysmal in some states (877 in Haryana to 1034 in Kerala), our actions should be sensitive to this regional variation. When the enemy is economic inequality, our weapon is research highlighting the role of these factors on mental health buy kamagra tablets.

References 1.Compton MT, Shim RS. The social determinants of buy kamagra tablets mental health. Focus 2015;13:419-25.

2.Gururaj G, Varghese M, Benegal V, Rao GN, Pathak K, Singh LK, et al. National Mental Health Survey of India, 2015-16 buy kamagra tablets. Prevalence, Patterns and Outcomes.

Bengaluru. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, NIMHANS Publication No. 129.

2016. 3.Sagar R, Dandona R, Gururaj G, Dhaliwal RS, Singh A, Ferrari A, et al. The burden of mental disorders across the states of India.

The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7:148-61. 4.National Crime Records Bureau, 2019.

Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. 2019. Available from.

Https://ncrb.gov.in. [Last accessed on 2021 Jun 24]. 5.Machado DB, Rasella D, dos Santos DN.

Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. PLoS One 2015;10:e0124934. Correspondence Address:Om Prakash SinghDepartment of Psychiatry, WBMES, Kolkata, West Bengal.

AMRI Hospitals, Kolkata, West Bengal IndiaSource of Support. None, Conflict of Interest. NoneDOI.

10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_635_21Abstract Sexual health, an essential component of individual's health, is influenced by many complex issues including sexual behavior, attitudes, societal, and cultural factors on the one hand and while on the other hand, biological aspects, genetic predisposition, and associated mental and physical illnesses. Sexual health is a neglected area, even though it influences mortality, morbidity, and disability. Dhat syndrome (DS), the term coined by Dr.

N. N. Wig, has been at the forefront of advancements in understanding and misunderstanding.

The concept of DS is still evolving being treated as a culture-bound syndrome in the past to a syndrome of depression and treated as “a culturally determined idiom of distress.” It is bound with myths, fallacies, prejudices, secrecy, exaggeration, and value-laden judgments. Although it has been reported from many countries, much of the literature has emanated from Asia, that too mainly from India. The research in India has ranged from the study of a few cases in the past to recent national multicentric studies concerning phenomenology and beliefs of patients.

The epidemiological studies have ranged from being hospital-based to population-based studies in rural and urban settings. There are studies on the management of individual cases by resolving sexual myths, relaxation exercises, supportive psychotherapy, anxiolytics, and antidepressants to broader and deeper research concerning cognitive behavior therapy. The presentation looks into DS as a model case highlighting the importance of exploring sexual health concerns in the Indian population in general and in particular need to reconsider DS in the light of the newly available literature.

It makes a fervent appeal for the inclusion of DS in the mainstream diagnostic categories in the upcoming revisions of the diagnostic manuals which can pave the way for a better understanding and management of DS and sexual problems.Keywords. Culture-bound syndrome, Dhat syndrome, Dhat syndrome management, Dhat syndrome prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity, sexual disordersHow to cite this article:Sathyanarayana Rao T S. History and mystery of Dhat syndrome.

A critical look at the current understanding and future directions. Indian J Psychiatry 2021;63:317-25 Introduction Mr. President, Chairpersons, my respected teachers and seniors, my professional colleagues and friends, ladies and gentlemen:I deem it a proud privilege and pleasure to receive and to deliver DLN Murti Rao Oration Award for 2020.

I am humbled at this great honor and remain grateful to the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) in general and the awards committee in particular. I would like to begin my presentation with my homage to Professor DLN Murti Rao, who was a Doyen of Psychiatry.[1] I have a special connection to the name as Dr. Doddaballapura Laxmi Narasimha Murti Rao, apart from a family name, obtained his medical degree from Mysore Medical College, Mysuru, India, the same city where I have served last 33 years in JSS Medical College and JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research.

His name carries the reverence in the corridors of the current National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) at Bangalore which was All India Institute of Mental Health, when he served as Head and the Medical Superintendent. Another coincidence was his untimely demise in 1962, the same year another Doyen Dr. Wig[2],[3] published the article on a common but peculiar syndrome in the Indian context and gave the name Dhat syndrome (DS).

Even though Dr. Wig is no more, his legacy of profound contribution to psychiatry and psychiatric education in general and service to the society and Mental Health, in particular, is well documented. His keen observation and study culminated in synthesizing many aspects and developments in DS.I would also like to place on record my humble pranams to my teachers from Christian Medical College, Vellore – Dr.

Abraham Varghese, the first Editor of the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine and Dr. K. Kuruvilla, Past Editor of Indian Journal of Psychiatry whose legacies I carried forward for both the journals.

I must place on record that my journey in the field of Sexual Medicine was sown by Dr. K. Kuruvilla and subsequent influence of Dr.

Ajit Avasthi from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research from Chandigarh as my role model in the field. There are many more who have shaped and nurtured my interest in the field of sex and sexuality.The term “Dhat” was taken from the Sanskrit language, which is an important word “Dhatu” and has known several meanings such as “metal,” a “medicinal constituent,” which can be considered as most powerful material within the human body.[4] The Dhat disorder is mainly known for “loss of semen”, and the DS is a well-known “culture-bound syndrome (CBS).”[4] The DS leads to several psychosexual disorders such as physical weakness, tiredness, anxiety, appetite loss, and guilt related to the loss of semen through nocturnal emission, in urine and by masturbation as mentioned in many studies.[4],[5],[6] Conventionally, Charaka Samhita mentions “waste of bodily humors” being linked to the “loss of Dhatus.”[5] Semen has even been mentioned by Aristotle as a “soul substance” and weakness associated with its loss.[6] This has led to a plethora of beliefs about “food-blood-semen” relationship where the loss of semen is considered to reduce vitality, potency, and psychophysiological strength. People have variously attributed DS to excessive masturbation, premarital sex, promiscuity, and nocturnal emissions.

Several past studies have emphasized that CBS leads to “anxiety for loss of semen” is not only prevalent in the Indian subcontinent but also a global phenomenon.[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20]It is important to note that DS manifestation and the psychosexual features are based on the impact of culture, demographic profiles, and the socioeconomic status of the patients.[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20] According to Leff,[21] culture depends upon norms, values, and myths, based on a specific area, and is also shared by the indigenous individuals of that area. Tiwari et al.[22] mentioned in their study that “culture is closely associated with mental disorders through social and psychological activities.” With this background, the paper attempts to highlight the multidimensional construct of DS for a better clinical understanding in routine practice. Dhat Syndrome.

A Separate Entity or a “Cultural Variant” of Depression Even though DS has been studied for years now, a consensus on the definition is yet to be achieved. It has mostly been conceptualized as a multidimensional psychosomatic entity consisting of anxiety, depressive, somatic, and sexual phenomenology. Most importantly, abnormal and erroneous attributions are considered to be responsible for the genesis of DS.

The most important debate is, however, related to the nosological status of DS. Although considered to a CBS unique to India, it has also been increasingly reported in China, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and America.[11] The consistency and validity of its diagnosis have been consistently debated, and one of the most vital questions that emerged was. Can there be another way to conceptualize DS?.

There is no single answer to that question. Apart from an independent entity, the diagnostic validity of which has been limited in longitudinal studies,[23] it has also been a cultural variant of depressive and somatization disorders. Mumford[11] in his study of Asian patients with DS found a significant association with depressed mood, anxiety, and fatigue.

Around the same time, another study by Chadha[24] reported comorbidities in DS at a rate of 50%, 32%, and 18% related to depression, somatoform disorders, and anxiety, respectively. Depression continued to be reported as the most common association of DS in many studies.[25],[26] This “cause-effect” dilemma can never be fully resolved. Whether “loss of semen” and the cultural attributions to it leads to the affective symptoms or whether low mood and neuroticism can lead to DS in appropriate cultural context are two sides of the argument.

However, the cognitive biases resulting in the attributional errors of DS and the subsequently maintained attitudes with relation to sexuality can be explained by the depressive cognitions and concepts of learned helplessness. Balhara[27] has argued that since DS is not really culture specific as thought of earlier, it should not be solely categorized as a functional somatic syndrome, as that can have detrimental effects on its understanding and management. He also mentions that the underlying “emotional distress and cultural contexts” are not unique to DS but can be related to any psychiatric syndrome for that matter.

On the contrary, other researchers have warned that subsuming DS and other CBS under the broader rubric of “mood disorders” can lead to neglect and reductionism in disorder like DS that can have unique cultural connotations.[28] Over the years, there have been multiple propositions to relook and relabel CBS like DS. Considering it as a variant of depression or somatization can make it a “cultural phenotype” of these disorders in certain regions, thus making it easier for the classificatory systems. This dichotomous debate seems never-ending, but clinically, it is always better to err on over-diagnosing and over-treating depression and anxiety in DS, which can improve the well-being of the distressed patients.

Why Discuss Dhat Syndrome. Implications in Clinical Practice DS might occur independently or associated with multiple comorbidities. It has been a widely recognized clinical condition in various parts of the world, though considered specific to the Indian subcontinent.

The presentation can often be polymorphic with symptom clusters of affective, somatic, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations.[29] Being common in rural areas, the first contacts of the patients are frequently traditional faith healers and less often, the general practitioners. A psychiatric referral occurs much later, if at all. This leads to underdetection and faulty treatments, which can strengthen the already existing misattributions and misinformation responsible for maintaining the disorder.

Furthermore, depression and sexual dysfunction can be the important comorbidities that if untreated, lead to significant psychosocial dysfunction and impaired quality of life.[30] Besides many patients of DS believe that their symptoms are due to failure of interpersonal relationships, s, and heredity, which might cause early death and infertility. This contributes to the vicious cycle of fear and panic.[31] Doctor shopping is another challenge and failure to detect and address the concern of DS might lead to dropping out from the care.[15] Rao[17] in their epidemiological study reported 12.5% prevalence in the general population, with 20.5% and 50% suffering from comorbid depression and sexual disorders. The authors stressed upon the importance of early detection of DS for the psychosexual and social well-being.

Most importantly, the multidimensional presentation of DS can at certain times be a facade overshadowing underlying neurotic disorders (anxiety, depression, somatoform, hypochondriasis, and phobias), obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders and body dysmorphic disorders, delusional disorders, sexual disorders (premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction) and infectious disorders (urinary tract s, sexually transmitted diseases), and even stress-related manifestations in otherwise healthy individuals.[4],[14],[15] This significant overlap of symptomatology, increased prevalence, and marked comorbidity make it all the more important for physicians to make sense out of the construct of DS. That can facilitate prompt detection and management of DS in routine clinical practice.In an earlier review study, it was observed that few studies are undertaken to update the research works from published articles as an updated review, systemic review, world literature review, etc., on DS and its management approach.[29],[32],[33],[34],[35] The present paper attempts to compile the evidence till date on DS related to its nosology, critique, manifestations, and management plan. The various empirical studies on DS all over the world will be briefly discussed along with the implications and importance of the syndrome.

The Construct of Dhat Syndrome. Summary of Current Evidence DS is a well-known CBS, which is defined as undue concern about the weakening effects after the passage of semen in urine or through nocturnal emission that has been stated by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10).[36] It is also known as “semen loss syndrome” by Shakya,[20] which is prevalent mainly in the Indian subcontinent[37] and has also been reported in the South-Eastern and western population.[15],[16],[20],[32],[38],[39],[40],[41] Individuals with “semen loss anxiety” suffer from a myriad of psychosexual symptoms, which have been attributed to “loss of vital essence through semen” (common in South Asia).[7],[15],[16],[17],[32],[37],[41],[42],[43] The various studies related to attributes of DS and their findings are summarized further.Prakash et al.[5] studied 100 DS patients through 139 symptoms of the Associated Symptoms Scale. They studied sociodemographic profile, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and Postgraduate Institute Neuroticism Scale.

The study found a wide range of physical, anxiety, depression, sexual, and cognitive symptoms. Most commonly associated symptoms were found as per score ≥1. This study reported several parameters such as the “sense of being unhealthy” (99%), worry (99%), feeling “no improvement despite treatment” (97%), tension (97%), tiredness (95%), fatigue (95%), weakness (95%), and anxiety (95%).

The common sexual disorders were observed as loss of masculinity (83%), erectile dysfunction (54%), and premature ejaculation (53%). Majority of patients had faced mild or moderate level of symptoms in which 47% of the patients reported severe weakness. Overall distress and dysfunction were observed as 64% and 81% in the studied subjects, respectively.A study in Taiwan involved 87 participants from a Urology clinic.

Most of them have sexual neurosis (Shen-K'uei syndrome).[7] More than one-third of the patients belonged to lower social class and symptoms of depression, somatization, anxiety, masturbation, and nocturnal emissions. Other bodily complaints as reported were sleep disturbances, fatigue, dizziness, backache, and weakness. Nearly 80% of them considered that all of their problems were due to masturbatory practices.De Silva and Dissanayake[8] investigated several manifestations on semen loss syndrome in the psychiatric clinic of Colombo General Hospital, Sri Lanka.

Beliefs regarding effects of semen loss and help-seeking sought for DS were explored. 38 patients were studied after psychiatrically ill individuals and those with organic disorders were excluded. Duration of semen loss varied from 1 to 20 years.

Every participant reported excessive loss of semen and was preoccupied with it. The common forms of semen loss were through nocturnal emission, masturbation, urinary loss, and through sexual activities. Most of them reported multiple modes of semen loss.

Masturbatory frequency and that of nocturnal emissions varied significantly. More than half of the patients reported all types of complaints (psychological, sexual, somatic, and genital).In the study by Chadda and Ahuja,[9] 52 psychiatric patients (mostly adolescents and young adults) complained of passing “Dhat” in urine. They were assessed for a period of 6 months.

More than 80% of them complained of body weakness, aches, and pains. More than 50% of the patients suffered from depression and anxiety. All the participants felt that their symptoms were due to loss of “dhat” in urine, attributed to excessive masturbation, extramarital and premarital sex.

Half of those who faced sexual dysfunctions attributed them to semen loss.Mumford[11] proposed a controversial explanation of DS arguing that it might be a part of other psychiatric disorders, like depression. A total of 1000 literate patients were recruited from a medical outdoor in a public sector hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. About 600 educated patients were included as per Bradford Somatic Inventory (BSI).

Men with DS reported greater symptoms on BSI than those without DS. 60 psychiatric patients were also recruited from the same hospital and diagnosed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-III-R. Among them, 33% of the patients qualified for “Dhat” items on BSI.

The symptoms persisted for more than 15 days. It was observed that symptoms of DS highly correlated with BSI items, namely erectile dysfunction, burning sensation during urination, fatigue, energy loss, and weakness. This comparative study indicated that patients with DS suffered more from depressive disorders than without DS and the age group affected by DS was mostly the young.Grover et al.[15] conducted a study on 780 male patients aged >16 years in five centers (Chandigarh, Jaipur, Faridkot, Mewat, and New Delhi) of Northern India, 4 centers (2 from Kolkata, 1 each in Kalyani and Bhubaneswar) of Eastern India, 2 centers (Agra and Lucknow) of Central India, 2 centers (Ahmedabad and Wardha) of Western India, and 2 centers of Southern India (both located at Mysore) spread across the country by using DS questionnaire.

Nearly one-third of the patients were passing “Dhat” multiple times a week. Among them, nearly 60% passed almost a spoonful of “Dhat” each time during a loss. This work on sexual disorders reported that the passage of “Dhat” was mostly attributed to masturbation (55.1%), dreams on sex (47.3%), sexual desire (42.8%), and high energy foods consumption (36.7%).

Mostly, the participants experienced passage of Dhat as “night falls” (60.1%) and “while passing stools” (59.5%). About 75.6% showed weakness in sexual ability as a common consequence of the “loss of Dhat.” The associated symptoms were depression, hopelessness, feeling low, decreased energy levels, weakness, and lack of pleasure. Erectile problems and premature ejaculation were also present.Rao[17] in his first epidemiological study done in Karnataka, India, showed the prevalence rate of DS in general male population as 12.5%.

It was found that 57.5% were suffering either from comorbid depression or anxiety disorders. The prevalence of psychiatric and sexual disorders was about three times higher with DS compared to non-DS subjects. One-third of the cases (32.8%) had no comorbidity in hospital (urban).

One-fifth (20.5%) and 50% subjects (51.3%) had comorbid depressive disorders and sexual dysfunction. The psychosexual symptoms were found among 113 patients who had DS. The most common psychological symptoms reported by the subjects with DS were low self-esteem (100%), loss of interest in any activity (95.60%), feeling of guilt (92.00%), and decreased social interaction (90.30%).

In case of sexual disorders, beliefs were held commonly about testes becoming smaller (92.00%), thinness of semen (86.70%), decreased sexual capabilities (83.20%), and tilting of penis (70.80%).Shakya[20] studied a clinicodemographic profile of DS patients in psychiatry outpatient clinic of B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.

A total of 50 subjects were included in this study, and the psychiatric diagnoses as well as comorbidities were investigated as per the ICD-10 criteria. Among the subjects, most of the cases had symptoms of depression and anxiety, and all the subjects were worried about semen loss. Somehow these subjects had heard or read that semen loss or masturbation is unhealthy practice.

The view of participants was that semen is very “precious,” needs preservation, and masturbation is a malpractice. Beside DS, two-thirds of the subjects had comorbid depression.In another Indian study, Chadda et al.[24] compared patients with DS with those affected with neurotic/depressive disorders. Among 100 patients, 50%, 32%, and 18% reported depression, somatic problems, and anxiety, respectively.

The authors argued that cases of DS have similar symptom dimensions as mood and anxiety disorders.Dhikav et al.[31] examined prevalence and management depression comorbid with DS. DSM-IV and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used for assessments. About 66% of the patients met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria of depression.

They concluded that depression was a frequent comorbidity in DS patients.In a study by Perme et al.[37] from South India that included 32 DS patients, the control group consisted of 33 people from the same clinic without DS, depression, and anxiety. The researchers followed the guidelines of Bhatia and Malik's for the assessment of primary complaints of semen loss through “nocturnal emissions, masturbation, sexual intercourse, and passing of semen before and after urine.” The assessment was done based on several indices, namely “Somatization Screening Index, Illness Behavior Questionnaire, Somatosensory Amplification Scale, Whitley Index, and Revised Chalder Fatigue Scale.” Several complaints such as somatic complaints, hypochondriacal beliefs, and fatigue were observed to be significantly higher among patients with DS compared to the control group.A study conducted in South Hall (an industrial area in the borough of Middlesex, London) included Indian and Pakistani immigrants. Young men living separately from their wives reported promiscuity, some being infected with gonorrhea and syphilis.

Like other studies, nocturnal emission, weakness, and impotency were the other reported complaints. Semen was considered to be responsible for strength and vigor by most patients. Compared to the sexual problems of Indians, the British residents complained of pelvic issues and backache.In another work, Bhatia et al.[42] undertook a study on culture-bound syndromes and reported that 76.7% of the sample had DS followed by possession syndrome and Koro (a genital-related anxiety among males in South-East Asia).

Priyadarshi and Verma[43] performed a study in Urology Department of S M S Hospital, Jaipur, India. They conducted the study among 110 male patients who complained of DS and majority of them were living alone (54.5%) or in nuclear family (30%) as compared to joint family. Furthermore, 60% of them reported of never having experienced sex.Nakra et al.[44] investigated incidence and clinical features of 150 consecutive patients who presented with potency complaints in their clinic.

Clinical assessments were done apart from detailed sexual history. The patients were 15–50 years of age, educated up to mid-school and mostly from a rural background. Most of them were married and reported premarital sexual practices, while nearly 67% of them practiced masturbation from early age.

There was significant guilt associated with nocturnal emissions and masturbation. Nearly 27% of the cases reported DS-like symptoms attributing their health problems to semen loss.Behere and Nataraj[45] reported that majority of the patients with DS presented with comorbidities of physical weakness, anxiety, headache, sad mood, loss of appetite, impotence, and premature ejaculation. The authors stated that DS in India is a symptom complex commonly found in younger age groups (16–23 years).

The study subjects presented with complaints of whitish discharge in urine and believed that the loss of semen through masturbation was the reason for DS and weakness.Singh et al.[46] studied 50 cases with DS and sexual problems (premature ejaculation and impotence) from Punjab, India, after exclusion of those who were psychiatrically ill. It was assumed in the study that semen loss is considered synonymous to “loss of something precious”, hence its loss would be associated with low mood and grief. Impotency (24%), premature ejaculation (14%), and “Dhat” in urine (40%) were the common complaints observed.

Patients reported variety of symptoms including anxiety, depression, appetite loss, sleep problems, bodily pains, and headache. More than half of the patients were independently diagnosed with depression, and hence, the authors argued that DS may be a manifestation of depressive disorders.Bhatia and Malik[47] reported that the most common complaints associated with DS were physical weakness, fatigue and palpitation, insomnia, sad mood, headache, guilt feeling and suicidal ideation, impotence, and premature ejaculation. Psychiatric disorders were found in 69% of the patients, out of which the most common was depression followed by anxiety, psychosis, and phobia.

About 15% of the patients were found to have premature ejaculation and 8% had impotence.Bhatia et al.[48] examined several biological variables of DS after enrolment of 40 patients in a psychosexual clinic in Delhi. Patients had a history of impotence, premature ejaculation, and loss of semen (after exclusion of substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders). Twenty years was the mean age of onset and semen loss was mainly through masturbation and sexual intercourse.

67.5% and 75% of them reported sexual disorders and psychiatric comorbidity while 25%, 12.5%, and 37.5% were recorded to suffer from ejaculatory impotence, premature ejaculation, and depression (with anxiety), respectively.Bhatia[49] conducted a study on CBS among 60 patients attending psychiatric outdoor in a teaching hospital. The study revealed that among all patients with CBSs, DS was the most common (76.7%) followed by possession syndrome (13.3%) and Koro (5%). Hypochondriasis, sexually transmitted diseases, and depression were the associated comorbidities.

Morrone et al.[50] studied 18 male patients with DS in the Dermatology department who were from Bangladesh and India. The symptoms observed were mainly fatigue and nonspecific somatic symptoms. DS patients manifested several symptoms in psychosocial, religious, somatic, and other domains.

The reasons provided by the patients for semen loss were urinary loss, nocturnal emission, and masturbation. Dhat Syndrome. The Epidemiology The typical demographic profile of a DS patient has been reported to be a less educated, young male from lower socioeconomic status and usually from rural areas.

In the earlier Indian studies by Carstairs,[51],[52],[53] it was observed that majority of the cases (52%–66.7%) were from rural areas, belonged to “conservative families and posed rigid views about sex” (69%-73%). De Silva and Dissanayake[8] in their study on semen loss syndrome reported the average age of onset of DS to be 25 years with most of them from lower-middle socioeconomic class. Chadda and Ahuja[9] studied young psychiatric patients who complained of semen loss.

They were mainly manual laborers, farmers, and clerks from low socioeconomic status. More than half were married and mostly uneducated. Khan[13] studied DS patients in Pakistan and reported that majority of the patients visited Hakims (50%) and Homeopaths (24%) for treatment.

The age range was wide between 12 and 65 years with an average age of 24 years. Among those studied, majority were unmarried (75%), literacy was up to matriculation and they belonged to lower socioeconomic class. Grover et al.[15] in their study of 780 male subjects showed the average age of onset to be 28.14 years and the age ranged between 21 and 30 years (55.3%).

The subjects were single or unmarried (51.0%) and married (46.7%). About 23.5% of the subjects had graduated and most were unemployed (73.5%). Majority of subjects were lower-middle class (34%) and had lower incomes.

Rao[17] studied 907 subjects, in which majority were from 18 to 30 years (44.5%). About 45.80% of the study subjects were illiterates and very few had completed postgraduation. The subjects were both married and single.

Majority of the subjects were residing in nuclear family (61.30%) and only 0.30% subjects were residing alone. Most of the patients did not have comorbid addictive disorders. The subjects were mainly engaged in agriculture (43.40%).

Majority of the subjects were from lower middle and upper lower socioeconomic class.Shakya[20] had studied the sociodemographic profile of 50 patients with DS. The average age of the studied patients was 25.4 years. The age ranges in decreasing order of frequency were 16–20 years (34%) followed by 21–25 years (28%), greater than 30 years (26%), 26–30 years (10%), and 11–15 years (2%).

Further, the subjects were mostly students (50%) and rest were in service (26%), farmers (14%), laborers (6%), and business (4%), respectively. Dhikav et al.[31] conducted a study on 30 patients who had attended the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of a tertiary care hospital with complaints of frequently passing semen in urine. In the studied patients, the age ranged between 20 and 40 years with an average age of 29 years and average age of onset of 19 years.

The average duration of illness was that of 11 months. Most of the studied patients were unmarried (64.2%) and educated till middle or high school (70%). Priyadarshi and Verma[43] performed a study in 110 male patients with DS.

The average age of the patients was 23.53 years and it ranged between 15 and 68 years. The most affected age group of patients was of 18–25 years, which comprised about 60% of patients. On the other hand, about 25% ranged between 25 and 35 years, 10% were lesser than 18 years of age, and 5.5% patients were aged >35 years.

Higher percentage of the patients were unmarried (70%). Interestingly, high prevalence of DS was found in educated patients and about 50% of patients were graduate or above but most of the patients were either unemployed or student (49.1%). About 55% and 24.5% patients showed monthly family income of <10,000 and 5000 Indian Rupees (INR), respectively.

Two-third patients belonged to rural areas of residence. Behere and Nataraj[45] found majority of the patients with DS (68%) to be between 16 and 25 years age. About 52% patients were married while 48% were unmarried and from lower socioeconomic strata.

The duration of DS symptoms varied widely. Singh[46] studied patients those who reported with DS, impotence, and premature ejaculation and reported the average age of the affected to be 21.8 years with a younger age of onset. Only a few patients received higher education.

Bhatia and Malik[47] as mentioned earlier reported that age at the time of onset of DS ranged from 16 to 24 years. More than half of them were single. It was observed that most patients had some territorial education (91.67%) but few (8.33%) had postgraduate education or professional training.

Finally, Bhatia et al.[48] studied cases of sexual dysfunctions and reported an average age of 21.6 years among the affected, majority being unmarried (80%). Most of those who had comorbid DS symptoms received minimal formal education. Management.

A Multimodal Approach As mentioned before, individuals affected with DS often seek initial treatment with traditional healers, practitioners of alternative medicine, and local quacks. As a consequence, varied treatment strategies have been popularized. Dietary supplements, protein and iron-rich diet, Vitamin B and C-complexes, antibiotics, multivitamin injections, herbal “supplements,” etc., have all been used in the treatment though scientific evidence related to them is sparse.[33] Frequent change of doctors, irregular compliance to treatment, and high dropout from health care are the major challenges, as the attributional beliefs toward DS persist in the majority even after repeated reassurance.[54] A multidisciplinary approach (involving psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers) is recommended and close liaison with the general physicians, the Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy practitioners, dermatologists, venereologists, and neurologists often help.

The role of faith healers and local counselors is vital, and it is important to integrate them into the care of DS patients, rather than side-tracking them from the system. Community awareness needs to be increased especially in primary health care for early detection and appropriate referrals. Follow-up data show two-thirds of patients affected with DS recovering with psychoeducation and low-dose sedatives.[45] Bhatia[49] studied 60 cases of DS and reported better response to anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications compared to psychotherapy alone.

Classically, the correction of attributional biases through empathy, reflective, and nonjudgmental approaches has been proposed.[38] Over the years, sex education, psychotherapy, psychoeducation, relaxation techniques, and medications have been advocated in the management of DS.[9],[55] In psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral and brief solution-focused approaches are useful to target the dysfunctional assumptions and beliefs in DS. The role of sex education is vital involving the basic understanding of sexual anatomy and physiology of sexuality. This needs to be tailored to the local terminology and beliefs.

Biofeedback has also been proposed as a treatment modality.[4] Individual stress factors that might have precipitated DS need to be addressed. A detailed outline of assessment, evaluation, and management of DS is beyond the scope of this article and has already been reported in the IPS Clinical Practice Guidelines.[56] The readers are referred to these important guidelines for a comprehensive read on management. Probably, the most important factor is to understand and resolve the sociocultural contexts in the genesis of DS in each individual.

Adequate debunking of the myths related to sexuality and culturally appropriate sexual education is vital both for the prevention and treatment of DS.[56] Adequate treatment of comorbidities such as depression and anxiety often helps in reduction of symptoms, more so when the DS is considered to be a manifestation of the same. Future of Dhat Syndrome. The Way Forward Classifications in psychiatry have always been fraught with debates and discussion such as categorical versus dimensional, biological versus evolutionary.

CBS like DS forms a major area of this nosological controversy. Longitudinal stability of a diagnosis is considered to be an important part of its independent categorization. Sameer et al.[23] followed up DS patients for 6.0 ± 3.5 years and concluded that the “pure” variety of DS is not a stable diagnostic entity.

The authors rather proposed DS as a variant of somatoform disorder, with cultural explanations. The right “place” for DS in classification systems has mostly been debated and theoretically fluctuant.[14] Sridhar et al.[57] mentioned the importance of reclassifying DS from a clinically, phenomenologically, psycho-pathologically, and diagnostically valid standpoint. Although both ICD and DSM have been culturally sensitive to classification, their approach to DS has been different.

While ICD-10 considers DS under “other nonpsychotic mental disorders” (F48), DSM-V mentions it only in appendix section as “cultural concepts of distress” not assigning the condition any particular number.[12],[58] Fundamental questions have actually been raised about its separate existence altogether,[35] which further puts its diagnostic position in doubt. As discussed in the earlier sections, an alternate hypothesization of DS is a cultural variant of depression, rather than a “true syndrome.”[27] Over decades, various schools of thought have considered DS either to be a global phenomenon or a cultural “idiom” of distress in specific geographical regions or a manifestation of other primary psychiatric disorders.[59] Qualitative studies in doctors have led to marked discordance in their opinion about the validity and classificatory area of DS.[60] The upcoming ICD-11 targets to pay more importance to cultural contexts for a valid and reliable classification. However, separating the phenomenological boundaries of diseases might lead to subsetting the cultural and contextual variants in broader rubrics.[61],[62] In that way, ICD-11 might propose alternate models for distinction of CBS like DS at nosological levels.[62] It is evident that various factors include socioeconomics, acceptability, and sustainability influence global classificatory systems, and this might influence the “niche” of DS in the near future.

It will be interesting to see whether it retains its diagnostic independence or gets subsumed under the broader “narrative” of depression. In any case, uniformity of diagnosing this culturally relevant yet distressing and highly prevalent condition will remain a major area related to psychiatric research and treatment. Conclusion DS is a multidimensional psychiatric “construct” which is equally interesting and controversial.

Historically relevant and symptomatically mysterious, this disorder provides unique insights into cultural contexts of human behavior and the role of misattributions, beliefs, and misinformation in sexuality. Beyond the traditional debate about its “separate” existence, the high prevalence of DS, associated comorbidities, and resultant dysfunction make it relevant for emotional and psychosexual health. It is also treatable, and hence, the detection, understanding, and awareness become vital to its management.

This oration attempts a “bird's eye” view of this CBS taking into account a holistic perspective of the available evidence so far. The clinical manifestations, diagnostic and epidemiological attributes, management, and nosological controversies are highlighted to provide a comprehensive account of DS and its relevance to mental health. More systematic and mixed methods research are warranted to unravel the enigma of this controversial yet distressing psychiatric disorder.AcknowledgmentI sincerely thank Dr.

Debanjan Banerjee (Senior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore) for his constant selfless support, rich academic discourse, and continued collaboration that helped me condense years of research and ideas into this paper.Financial support and sponsorshipNil.Conflicts of interestThere are no conflicts of interest. References 1.2.3.Srinivasa Murthy R, Wig NN. A man ahead of his time.

In. Sathyanarayana Rao TS, Tandon A, editors. Psychiatry in India.

Training and Training Centres. 2nd ed. Mysuru, India.

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16.MacFarland AS, Al-Maashani M, Al Busaidi Q, Al-Naamani A, El-Bouri M, Al-Adawi S. Culture-specific pathogenicity of Dhat (semen loss) Syndrome in an Arab/Islamic Society, Oman. Oman Med J 2017;32:251-5.

17.Rao TS. Comprehensive Study of Prevalence Rates, Symptom Profile, Comorbidity and Management of Dhat Syndrome in Rural and Urban Communities. PhD Thesis.

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24.Chadda RK. Dhat syndrome. Is it a distinct clinical entity?.

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31.Dhikav V, Aggarwal N, Gupta S, Jadhavi R, Singh K. Depression in Dhat syndrome. J Sex Med 2008;5:841-4.

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48.Bhatia MS, Choudhry S, Shome S. Dhat syndrome - Is it a syndrome of Dhat only?. J Ment Health Hum Behav1997;2:17-22.

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Indian J Soc Psychiatry 2018;34 Suppl S1:1-4. Correspondence Address:T S Sathyanarayana RaoDepartment of Psychiatry, JSS Medical College and Hospital, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysore - 570 004, Karnataka IndiaSource of Support. None, Conflict of Interest.

NoneDOI. 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_791_20.

How to cite cheap kamagra supplier this article:Singh OP. Mental health in diverse India. Need for cheap kamagra supplier advocacy. Indian J Psychiatry 2021;63:315-6”Unity in diversity” - That is the theme of India which we are quite proud of. We have cheap kamagra supplier diversity in terms of geography – From the Himalayas to the deserts to the seas.

Every region has its own distinct culture and food. There are so many varieties of dress and language. There is huge difference between the states in terms of development, attitude toward women, cheap kamagra supplier health infrastructure, child mortality, and other sociodemographic development indexes. There is now ample evidence that sociocultural factors influence mental health. Compton and Shim[1] have described in their model of gene cheap kamagra supplier environment interaction how public policies and social norms act on the distribution of opportunity leading to social inequality, exclusion, poor environment, discrimination, and unemployment.

This in turn leads to reduced options, poor choices, and high-risk behavior. Combining genetic vulnerability and early brain insult with low access to health care leads to poor mental health, disease, and morbidity.When we come to the field of mental health, we find huge differences between different states of cheap kamagra supplier India. The prevalence of psychiatric disorders was markedly different while it was 5.8 and 5.1 for Assam and Uttar Pradesh at the lower end of the spectrum, it was 13.9 and 14.1 for Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra at the higher end of the spectrum. There was also a huge difference between the rural areas and metros, particularly in terms of psychosis and bipolar disorders.[2] The difference was distinct not only in the prevalence but also in the type of psychiatric disorders. While the more developed southern states had higher cheap kamagra supplier prevalence of adult-onset disorders such as depression and anxiety, the less developed northern states had more of childhood onset disorders.

This may be due to lead toxicity, nutritional status, and perinatal issues. Higher rates cheap kamagra supplier of depression and anxiety were found in females. Apart from the genetic and hormonal factors, increase was attributed to gender discrimination, violence, sexual abuse, and adverse sociocultural norms. Marriage was found to be a negative prognostic indicator contrary to the western norms.[3]Cultural influences on the presentation of psychiatric cheap kamagra supplier disorders are apparent. Being in recessive position in the family is one of the strongest predictors of psychiatric illnesses and psychosomatic disorders.

The presentation of depressive and anxiety disorders with more somatic symptoms results from inability to express due to unequal power equation in the family rather than the lack of expressions. Apart from culture bound syndromes, the role of cultural idioms of cheap kamagra supplier distress in manifestations of psychiatric symptoms is well acknowledged.When we look into suicide data, suicide in lower socioeconomic strata (annual income <1 lakh) was 92,083, in annual income group of 1–5 lakhs, it was 41,197, and in higher income group, it was 4726. Among those who committed suicide, 67% were young adults, 34% had family problems, 23.4% of suicides occurred in daily laborers, 10.1% in unemployed persons, and 7.4% in farmers.[4]While there are huge regional differences in mental health issues, the challenges in mental health in India remain stigma reduction, conducting research on efficacy of early intervention, reaching the unreached, gender sensitive services, making quality mental healthcare accessible and available, suicide prevention, reduction of substance abuse, implementing insurance for mental health and reducing out-of-pocket expense, and finally, improving care for homeless mentally ill. All these require sustained advocacy aimed at promoting cheap kamagra supplier rights of mentally ill persons and reducing stigma and discriminations. It consists of various actions aimed at changing the attitudinal barriers in achieving positive mental health outcomes in the general population.

Psychiatrists as Mental Health Advocates There is a debate whether psychiatrists who are overburdened with clinical care could or should be involved in the advocacy activities which require skills in other areas, and sometimes, they find themselves at the receiving end of mental health advocates. We must be involved and pathways should be cheap kamagra supplier to build technical evidence for mapping out the problem, cost-effective interventions, and their efficacy.Advocacy can be done at institutional level, organizational level, and individual level. There has been huge work done in this regard at institution level. Important research work done in this regard includes the National Mental Health Survey, National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India, Global Burden cheap kamagra supplier of Diseases in Indian States, and Trajectory of Brain Development. Other activities include improving the infrastructure of mental hospitals, telepsychiatry services, provision of free drugs, providing training to increase the number of service providers.

Similarly, at organizational level, the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) has filed a case for lacunae cheap kamagra supplier in Mental Health-care Act, 2017. Another case filed by the IPS lead to change of name of the film from “Mental Hai Kya” to “Judgemental Hai Kya.” In LGBT issue, the IPS statement was quoted in the final judgement on the decriminalization of homosexuality. The IPS has also started helplines at different levels and media interactions. The Indian Journal of Psychiatry has also come out with editorials highlighting the need of care of cheap kamagra supplier marginalized population such as migrant laborers and persons with dementia. At an individual level, we can be involved in ensuring quality treatment, respecting dignity and rights of the patient, sensitization of staff, working with patients and caregivers to plan services, and being involved locally in media and public awareness activities.The recent experience of Brazil is an eye opener where suicide reduction resulted from direct cash transfer pointing at the role of economic decision in suicide.[5] In India where economic inequality is increasing, male-to-female ratio is abysmal in some states (877 in Haryana to 1034 in Kerala), our actions should be sensitive to this regional variation.

When the enemy is economic inequality, our weapon is research highlighting the role of these factors on mental cheap kamagra supplier health. References 1.Compton MT, Shim RS. The social determinants of mental health cheap kamagra supplier. Focus 2015;13:419-25. 2.Gururaj G, Varghese M, Benegal V, Rao GN, Pathak K, Singh LK, et al.

National Mental cheap kamagra supplier Health Survey of India, 2015-16. Prevalence, Patterns and Outcomes. Bengaluru. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, NIMHANS Publication No. 129.

2016. 3.Sagar R, Dandona R, Gururaj G, Dhaliwal RS, Singh A, Ferrari A, et al. The burden of mental disorders across the states of India. The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7:148-61.

4.National Crime Records Bureau, 2019. Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India. 2019. Available from. Https://ncrb.gov.in.

[Last accessed on 2021 Jun 24]. 5.Machado DB, Rasella D, dos Santos DN. Impact of income inequality and other social determinants on suicide rate in Brazil. PLoS One 2015;10:e0124934. Correspondence Address:Om Prakash SinghDepartment of Psychiatry, WBMES, Kolkata, West Bengal.

AMRI Hospitals, Kolkata, West Bengal IndiaSource of Support. None, Conflict of Interest. NoneDOI. 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_635_21Abstract Sexual health, an essential component of individual's health, is influenced by many complex issues including sexual behavior, attitudes, societal, and cultural factors on the one hand and while on the other hand, biological aspects, genetic predisposition, and associated mental and physical illnesses. Sexual health is a neglected area, even though it influences mortality, morbidity, and disability.

Dhat syndrome (DS), the term coined by Dr. N. N. Wig, has been at the forefront of advancements in understanding and misunderstanding. The concept of DS is still evolving being treated as a culture-bound syndrome in the past to a syndrome of depression and treated as “a culturally determined idiom of distress.” It is bound with myths, fallacies, prejudices, secrecy, exaggeration, and value-laden judgments.

Although it has been reported from many countries, much of the literature has emanated from Asia, that too mainly from India. The research in India has ranged from the study of a few cases in the past to recent national multicentric studies concerning phenomenology and beliefs of patients. The epidemiological studies have ranged from being hospital-based to population-based studies in rural and urban settings. There are studies on the management of individual cases by resolving sexual myths, relaxation exercises, supportive psychotherapy, anxiolytics, and antidepressants to broader and deeper research concerning cognitive behavior therapy. The presentation looks into DS as a model case highlighting the importance of exploring sexual health concerns in the Indian population in general and in particular need to reconsider DS in the light of the newly available literature.

It makes a fervent appeal for the inclusion of DS in the mainstream diagnostic categories in the upcoming revisions of the diagnostic manuals which can pave the way for a better understanding and management of DS and sexual problems.Keywords. Culture-bound syndrome, Dhat syndrome, Dhat syndrome management, Dhat syndrome prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity, sexual disordersHow to cite this article:Sathyanarayana Rao T S. History and mystery of Dhat syndrome. A critical look at the current understanding and future directions. Indian J Psychiatry 2021;63:317-25 Introduction Mr.

President, Chairpersons, my respected teachers and seniors, my professional colleagues and friends, ladies and gentlemen:I deem it a proud privilege and pleasure to receive and to deliver DLN Murti Rao Oration Award for 2020. I am humbled at this great honor and remain grateful to the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) in general and the awards committee in particular. I would like to begin my presentation with my homage to Professor DLN Murti Rao, who was a Doyen of Psychiatry.[1] I have a special connection to the name as Dr. Doddaballapura Laxmi Narasimha Murti Rao, apart from a family name, obtained his medical degree from Mysore Medical College, Mysuru, India, the same city where I have served last 33 years in JSS Medical College and JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research. His name carries the reverence in the corridors of the current National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) at Bangalore which was All India Institute of Mental Health, when he served as Head and the Medical Superintendent.

Another coincidence was his untimely demise in 1962, the same year another Doyen Dr. Wig[2],[3] published the article on a common but peculiar syndrome in the Indian context and gave the name Dhat syndrome (DS). Even though Dr. Wig is no more, his legacy of profound contribution to psychiatry and psychiatric education in general and service to the society and Mental Health, in particular, is well documented. His keen observation and study culminated in synthesizing many aspects and developments in DS.I would also like to place on record my humble pranams to my teachers from Christian Medical College, Vellore – Dr.

Abraham Varghese, the first Editor of the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine and Dr. K. Kuruvilla, Past Editor of Indian Journal of Psychiatry whose legacies I carried forward for both the journals. I must place on record that my journey in the field of Sexual Medicine was sown by Dr. K.

Kuruvilla and subsequent influence of Dr. Ajit Avasthi from Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research from Chandigarh as my role model in the field. There are many more who have shaped and nurtured my interest in the field of sex and sexuality.The term “Dhat” was taken from the Sanskrit language, which is an important word “Dhatu” and has known several meanings such as “metal,” a “medicinal constituent,” which can be considered as most powerful material within the human body.[4] The Dhat disorder is mainly known for “loss of semen”, and the DS is a well-known “culture-bound syndrome (CBS).”[4] The DS leads to several psychosexual disorders such as physical weakness, tiredness, anxiety, appetite loss, and guilt related to the loss of semen through nocturnal emission, in urine and by masturbation as mentioned in many studies.[4],[5],[6] Conventionally, Charaka Samhita mentions “waste of bodily humors” being linked to the “loss of Dhatus.”[5] Semen has even been mentioned by Aristotle as a “soul substance” and weakness associated with its loss.[6] This has led to a plethora of beliefs about “food-blood-semen” relationship where the loss of semen is considered to reduce vitality, potency, and psychophysiological strength. People have variously attributed DS to excessive masturbation, premarital sex, promiscuity, and nocturnal emissions. Several past studies have emphasized that CBS leads to “anxiety for loss of semen” is not only prevalent in the Indian subcontinent but also a global phenomenon.[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20]It is important to note that DS manifestation and the psychosexual features are based on the impact of culture, demographic profiles, and the socioeconomic status of the patients.[7],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14],[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20] According to Leff,[21] culture depends upon norms, values, and myths, based on a specific area, and is also shared by the indigenous individuals of that area.

Tiwari et al.[22] mentioned in their study that “culture is closely associated with mental disorders through social and psychological activities.” With this background, the paper attempts to highlight the multidimensional construct of DS for a better clinical understanding in routine practice. Dhat Syndrome. A Separate Entity or a “Cultural Variant” of Depression Even though DS has been studied for years now, a consensus on the definition is yet to be achieved. It has mostly been conceptualized as a multidimensional psychosomatic entity consisting of anxiety, depressive, somatic, and sexual phenomenology. Most importantly, abnormal and erroneous attributions are considered to be responsible for the genesis of DS.

The most important debate is, however, related to the nosological status of DS. Although considered to a CBS unique to India, it has also been increasingly reported in China, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, and America.[11] The consistency and validity of its diagnosis have been consistently debated, and one of the most vital questions that emerged was. Can there be another way to conceptualize DS?. There is no single answer to that question. Apart from an independent entity, the diagnostic validity of which has been limited in longitudinal studies,[23] it has also been a cultural variant of depressive and somatization disorders.

Mumford[11] in his study of Asian patients with DS found a significant association with depressed mood, anxiety, and fatigue. Around the same time, another study by Chadha[24] reported comorbidities in DS at a rate of 50%, 32%, and 18% related to depression, somatoform disorders, and anxiety, respectively. Depression continued to be reported as the most common association of DS in many studies.[25],[26] This “cause-effect” dilemma can never be fully resolved. Whether “loss of semen” and the cultural attributions to it leads to the affective symptoms or whether low mood and neuroticism can lead to DS in appropriate cultural context are two sides of the argument. However, the cognitive biases resulting in the attributional errors of DS and the subsequently maintained attitudes with relation to sexuality can be explained by the depressive cognitions and concepts of learned helplessness.

Balhara[27] has argued that since DS is not really culture specific as thought of earlier, it should not be solely categorized as a functional somatic syndrome, as that can have detrimental effects on its understanding and management. He also mentions that the underlying “emotional distress and cultural contexts” are not unique to DS but can be related to any psychiatric syndrome for that matter. On the contrary, other researchers have warned that subsuming DS and other CBS under the broader rubric of “mood disorders” can lead to neglect and reductionism in disorder like DS that can have unique cultural connotations.[28] Over the years, there have been multiple propositions to relook and relabel CBS like DS. Considering it as a variant of depression or somatization can make it a “cultural phenotype” of these disorders in certain regions, thus making it easier for the classificatory systems. This dichotomous debate seems never-ending, but clinically, it is always better to err on over-diagnosing and over-treating depression and anxiety in DS, which can improve the well-being of the distressed patients.

Why Discuss Dhat Syndrome. Implications in Clinical Practice DS might occur independently or associated with multiple comorbidities. It has been a widely recognized clinical condition in various parts of the world, though considered specific to the Indian subcontinent. The presentation can often be polymorphic with symptom clusters of affective, somatic, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations.[29] Being common in rural areas, the first contacts of the patients are frequently traditional faith healers and less often, the general practitioners. A psychiatric referral occurs much later, if at all.

This leads to underdetection and faulty treatments, which can strengthen the already existing misattributions and misinformation responsible for maintaining the disorder. Furthermore, depression and sexual dysfunction can be the important comorbidities that if untreated, lead to significant psychosocial dysfunction and impaired quality of life.[30] Besides many patients of DS believe that their symptoms are due to failure of interpersonal relationships, s, and heredity, which might cause early death and infertility. This contributes to the vicious cycle of fear and panic.[31] Doctor shopping is another challenge and failure to detect and address the concern of DS might lead to dropping out from the care.[15] Rao[17] in their epidemiological study reported 12.5% prevalence in the general population, with 20.5% and 50% suffering from comorbid depression and sexual disorders. The authors stressed upon the importance of early detection of DS for the psychosexual and social well-being. Most importantly, the multidimensional presentation of DS can at certain times be a facade overshadowing underlying neurotic disorders (anxiety, depression, somatoform, hypochondriasis, and phobias), obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders and body dysmorphic disorders, delusional disorders, sexual disorders (premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction) and infectious disorders (urinary tract s, sexually transmitted diseases), and even stress-related manifestations in otherwise healthy individuals.[4],[14],[15] This significant overlap of symptomatology, increased prevalence, and marked comorbidity make it all the more important for physicians to make sense out of the construct of DS.

That can facilitate prompt detection and management of DS in routine clinical practice.In an earlier review study, it was observed that few studies are undertaken to update the research works from published articles as an updated review, systemic review, world literature review, etc., on DS and its management approach.[29],[32],[33],[34],[35] The present paper attempts to compile the evidence till date on DS related to its nosology, critique, manifestations, and management plan. The various empirical studies on DS all over the world will be briefly discussed along with the implications and importance of the syndrome. The Construct of Dhat Syndrome. Summary of Current Evidence DS is a well-known CBS, which is defined as undue concern about the weakening effects after the passage of semen in urine or through nocturnal emission that has been stated by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10).[36] It is also known as “semen loss syndrome” by Shakya,[20] which is prevalent mainly in the Indian subcontinent[37] and has also been reported in the South-Eastern and western population.[15],[16],[20],[32],[38],[39],[40],[41] Individuals with “semen loss anxiety” suffer from a myriad of psychosexual symptoms, which have been attributed to “loss of vital essence through semen” (common in South Asia).[7],[15],[16],[17],[32],[37],[41],[42],[43] The various studies related to attributes of DS and their findings are summarized further.Prakash et al.[5] studied 100 DS patients through 139 symptoms of the Associated Symptoms Scale. They studied sociodemographic profile, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and Postgraduate Institute Neuroticism Scale.

The study found a wide range of physical, anxiety, depression, sexual, and cognitive symptoms. Most commonly associated symptoms were found as per score ≥1. This study reported several parameters such as the “sense of being unhealthy” (99%), worry (99%), feeling “no improvement despite treatment” (97%), tension (97%), tiredness (95%), fatigue (95%), weakness (95%), and anxiety (95%). The common sexual disorders were observed as loss of masculinity (83%), erectile dysfunction (54%), and premature ejaculation (53%). Majority of patients had faced mild or moderate level of symptoms in which 47% of the patients reported severe weakness.

Overall distress and dysfunction were observed as 64% and 81% in the studied subjects, respectively.A study in Taiwan involved 87 participants from a Urology clinic. Most of them have sexual neurosis (Shen-K'uei syndrome).[7] More than one-third of the patients belonged to lower social class and symptoms of depression, somatization, anxiety, masturbation, and nocturnal emissions. Other bodily complaints as reported were sleep disturbances, fatigue, dizziness, backache, and weakness. Nearly 80% of them considered that all of their problems were due to masturbatory practices.De Silva and Dissanayake[8] investigated several manifestations on semen loss syndrome in the psychiatric clinic of Colombo General Hospital, Sri Lanka. Beliefs regarding effects of semen loss and help-seeking sought for DS were explored.

38 patients were studied after psychiatrically ill individuals and those with organic disorders were excluded. Duration of semen loss varied from 1 to 20 years. Every participant reported excessive loss of semen and was preoccupied with it. The common forms of semen loss were through nocturnal emission, masturbation, urinary loss, and through sexual activities. Most of them reported multiple modes of semen loss.

Masturbatory frequency and that of nocturnal emissions varied significantly. More than half of the patients reported all types of complaints (psychological, sexual, somatic, and genital).In the study by Chadda and Ahuja,[9] 52 psychiatric patients (mostly adolescents and young adults) complained of passing “Dhat” in urine. They were assessed for a period of 6 months. More than 80% of them complained of body weakness, aches, and pains. More than 50% of the patients suffered from depression and anxiety.

All the participants felt that their symptoms were due to loss of “dhat” in urine, attributed to excessive masturbation, extramarital and premarital sex. Half of those who faced sexual dysfunctions attributed them to semen loss.Mumford[11] proposed a controversial explanation of DS arguing that it might be a part of other psychiatric disorders, like depression. A total of 1000 literate patients were recruited from a medical outdoor in a public sector hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. About 600 educated patients were included as per Bradford Somatic Inventory (BSI). Men with DS reported greater symptoms on BSI than those without DS.

60 psychiatric patients were also recruited from the same hospital and diagnosed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-III-R. Among them, 33% of the patients qualified for “Dhat” items on BSI. The symptoms persisted for more than 15 days. It was observed that symptoms of DS highly correlated with BSI items, namely erectile dysfunction, burning sensation during urination, fatigue, energy loss, and weakness. This comparative study indicated that patients with DS suffered more from depressive disorders than without DS and the age group affected by DS was mostly the young.Grover et al.[15] conducted a study on 780 male patients aged >16 years in five centers (Chandigarh, Jaipur, Faridkot, Mewat, and New Delhi) of Northern India, 4 centers (2 from Kolkata, 1 each in Kalyani and Bhubaneswar) of Eastern India, 2 centers (Agra and Lucknow) of Central India, 2 centers (Ahmedabad and Wardha) of Western India, and 2 centers of Southern India (both located at Mysore) spread across the country by using DS questionnaire.

Nearly one-third of the patients were passing “Dhat” multiple times a week. Among them, nearly 60% passed almost a spoonful of “Dhat” each time during a loss. This work on sexual disorders reported that the passage of “Dhat” was mostly attributed to masturbation (55.1%), dreams on sex (47.3%), sexual desire (42.8%), and high energy foods consumption (36.7%). Mostly, the participants experienced passage of Dhat as “night falls” (60.1%) and “while passing stools” (59.5%). About 75.6% showed weakness in sexual ability as a common consequence of the “loss of Dhat.” The associated symptoms were depression, hopelessness, feeling low, decreased energy levels, weakness, and lack of pleasure.

Erectile problems and premature ejaculation were also present.Rao[17] in his first epidemiological study done in Karnataka, India, showed the prevalence rate of DS in general male population as 12.5%. It was found that 57.5% were suffering either from comorbid depression or anxiety disorders. The prevalence of psychiatric and sexual disorders was about three times higher with DS compared to non-DS subjects. One-third of the cases (32.8%) had no comorbidity in hospital (urban). One-fifth (20.5%) and 50% subjects (51.3%) had comorbid depressive disorders and sexual dysfunction.

The psychosexual symptoms were found among 113 patients who had DS. The most common psychological symptoms reported by the subjects with DS were low self-esteem (100%), loss of interest in any activity (95.60%), feeling of guilt (92.00%), and decreased social interaction (90.30%). In case of sexual disorders, beliefs were held commonly about testes becoming smaller (92.00%), thinness of semen (86.70%), decreased sexual capabilities (83.20%), and tilting of penis (70.80%).Shakya[20] studied a clinicodemographic profile of DS patients in psychiatry outpatient clinic of B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal.

A total of 50 subjects were included in this study, and the psychiatric diagnoses as well as comorbidities were investigated as per the ICD-10 criteria. Among the subjects, most of the cases had symptoms of depression and anxiety, and all the subjects were worried about semen loss. Somehow these subjects had heard or read that semen loss or masturbation is unhealthy practice. The view of participants was that semen is very “precious,” needs preservation, and masturbation is a malpractice. Beside DS, two-thirds of the subjects had comorbid depression.In another Indian study, Chadda et al.[24] compared patients with DS with those affected with neurotic/depressive disorders.

Among 100 patients, 50%, 32%, and 18% reported depression, somatic problems, and anxiety, respectively. The authors argued that cases of DS have similar symptom dimensions as mood and anxiety disorders.Dhikav et al.[31] examined prevalence and management depression comorbid with DS. DSM-IV and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used for assessments. About 66% of the patients met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria of depression. They concluded that depression was a frequent comorbidity in DS patients.In a study by Perme et al.[37] from South India that included 32 DS patients, the control group consisted of 33 people from the same clinic without DS, depression, and anxiety.

The researchers followed the guidelines of Bhatia and Malik's for the assessment of primary complaints of semen loss through “nocturnal emissions, masturbation, sexual intercourse, and passing of semen before and after urine.” The assessment was done based on several indices, namely “Somatization Screening Index, Illness Behavior Questionnaire, Somatosensory Amplification Scale, Whitley Index, and Revised Chalder Fatigue Scale.” Several complaints such as somatic complaints, hypochondriacal beliefs, and fatigue were observed to be significantly higher among patients with DS compared to the control group.A study conducted in South Hall (an industrial area in the borough of Middlesex, London) included Indian and Pakistani immigrants. Young men living separately from their wives reported promiscuity, some being infected with gonorrhea and syphilis. Like other studies, nocturnal emission, weakness, and impotency were the other reported complaints. Semen was considered to be responsible for strength and vigor by most patients. Compared to the sexual problems of Indians, the British residents complained of pelvic issues and backache.In another work, Bhatia et al.[42] undertook a study on culture-bound syndromes and reported that 76.7% of the sample had DS followed by possession syndrome and Koro (a genital-related anxiety among males in South-East Asia).

Priyadarshi and Verma[43] performed a study in Urology Department of S M S Hospital, Jaipur, India. They conducted the study among 110 male patients who complained of DS and majority of them were living alone (54.5%) or in nuclear family (30%) as compared to joint family. Furthermore, 60% of them reported of never having experienced sex.Nakra et al.[44] investigated incidence and clinical features of 150 consecutive patients who presented with potency complaints in their clinic. Clinical assessments were done apart from detailed sexual history. The patients were 15–50 years of age, educated up to mid-school and mostly from a rural background.

Most of them were married and reported premarital sexual practices, while nearly 67% of them practiced masturbation from early age. There was significant guilt associated with nocturnal emissions and masturbation. Nearly 27% of the cases reported DS-like symptoms attributing their health problems to semen loss.Behere and Nataraj[45] reported that majority of the patients with DS presented with comorbidities of physical weakness, anxiety, headache, sad mood, loss of appetite, impotence, and premature ejaculation. The authors stated that DS in India is a symptom complex commonly found in younger age groups (16–23 years). The study subjects presented with complaints of whitish discharge in urine and believed that the loss of semen through masturbation was the reason for DS and weakness.Singh et al.[46] studied 50 cases with DS and sexual problems (premature ejaculation and impotence) from Punjab, India, after exclusion of those who were psychiatrically ill.

It was assumed in the study that semen loss is considered synonymous to “loss of something precious”, hence its loss would be associated with low mood and grief. Impotency (24%), premature ejaculation (14%), and “Dhat” in urine (40%) were the common complaints observed. Patients reported variety of symptoms including anxiety, depression, appetite loss, sleep problems, bodily pains, and headache. More than half of the patients were independently diagnosed with depression, and hence, the authors argued that DS may be a manifestation of depressive disorders.Bhatia and Malik[47] reported that the most common complaints associated with DS were physical weakness, fatigue and palpitation, insomnia, sad mood, headache, guilt feeling and suicidal ideation, impotence, and premature ejaculation. Psychiatric disorders were found in 69% of the patients, out of which the most common was depression followed by anxiety, psychosis, and phobia.

About 15% of the patients were found to have premature ejaculation and 8% had impotence.Bhatia et al.[48] examined several biological variables of DS after enrolment of 40 patients in a psychosexual clinic in Delhi. Patients had a history of impotence, premature ejaculation, and loss of semen (after exclusion of substance abuse and other psychiatric disorders). Twenty years was the mean age of onset and semen loss was mainly through masturbation and sexual intercourse. 67.5% and 75% of them reported sexual disorders and psychiatric comorbidity while 25%, 12.5%, and 37.5% were recorded to suffer from ejaculatory impotence, premature ejaculation, and depression (with anxiety), respectively.Bhatia[49] conducted a study on CBS among 60 patients attending psychiatric outdoor in a teaching hospital. The study revealed that among all patients with CBSs, DS was the most common (76.7%) followed by possession syndrome (13.3%) and Koro (5%).

Hypochondriasis, sexually transmitted diseases, and depression were the associated comorbidities. Morrone et al.[50] studied 18 male patients with DS in the Dermatology department who were from Bangladesh and India. The symptoms observed were mainly fatigue and nonspecific somatic symptoms. DS patients manifested several symptoms in psychosocial, religious, somatic, and other domains. The reasons provided by the patients for semen loss were urinary loss, nocturnal emission, and masturbation.

Dhat Syndrome. The Epidemiology The typical demographic profile of a DS patient has been reported to be a less educated, young male from lower socioeconomic status and usually from rural areas. In the earlier Indian studies by Carstairs,[51],[52],[53] it was observed that majority of the cases (52%–66.7%) were from rural areas, belonged to “conservative families and posed rigid views about sex” (69%-73%). De Silva and Dissanayake[8] in their study on semen loss syndrome reported the average age of onset of DS to be 25 years with most of them from lower-middle socioeconomic class. Chadda and Ahuja[9] studied young psychiatric patients who complained of semen loss.

They were mainly manual laborers, farmers, and clerks from low socioeconomic status. More than half were married and mostly uneducated. Khan[13] studied DS patients in Pakistan and reported that majority of the patients visited Hakims (50%) and Homeopaths (24%) for treatment. The age range was wide between 12 and 65 years with an average age of 24 years. Among those studied, majority were unmarried (75%), literacy was up to matriculation and they belonged to lower socioeconomic class.

Grover et al.[15] in their study of 780 male subjects showed the average age of onset to be 28.14 years and the age ranged between 21 and 30 years (55.3%). The subjects were single or unmarried (51.0%) and married (46.7%). About 23.5% of the subjects had graduated and most were unemployed (73.5%). Majority of subjects were lower-middle class (34%) and had lower incomes. Rao[17] studied 907 subjects, in which majority were from 18 to 30 years (44.5%).

About 45.80% of the study subjects were illiterates and very few had completed postgraduation. The subjects were both married and single. Majority of the subjects were residing in nuclear family (61.30%) and only 0.30% subjects were residing alone. Most of the patients did not have comorbid addictive disorders. The subjects were mainly engaged in agriculture (43.40%).

Majority of the subjects were from lower middle and upper lower socioeconomic class.Shakya[20] had studied the sociodemographic profile of 50 patients with DS. The average age of the studied patients was 25.4 years. The age ranges in decreasing order of frequency were 16–20 years (34%) followed by 21–25 years (28%), greater than 30 years (26%), 26–30 years (10%), and 11–15 years (2%). Further, the subjects were mostly students (50%) and rest were in service (26%), farmers (14%), laborers (6%), and business (4%), respectively. Dhikav et al.[31] conducted a study on 30 patients who had attended the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of a tertiary care hospital with complaints of frequently passing semen in urine.

In the studied patients, the age ranged between 20 and 40 years with an average age of 29 years and average age of onset of 19 years. The average duration of illness was that of 11 months. Most of the studied patients were unmarried (64.2%) and educated till middle or high school (70%). Priyadarshi and Verma[43] performed a study in 110 male patients with DS. The average age of the patients was 23.53 years and it ranged between 15 and 68 years.

The most affected age group of patients was of 18–25 years, which comprised about 60% of patients. On the other hand, about 25% ranged between 25 and 35 years, 10% were lesser than 18 years of age, and 5.5% patients were aged >35 years. Higher percentage of the patients were unmarried (70%). Interestingly, high prevalence of DS was found in educated patients and about 50% of patients were graduate or above but most of the patients were either unemployed or student (49.1%). About 55% and 24.5% patients showed monthly family income of <10,000 and 5000 Indian Rupees (INR), respectively.

Two-third patients belonged to rural areas of residence. Behere and Nataraj[45] found majority of the patients with DS (68%) to be between 16 and 25 years age. About 52% patients were married while 48% were unmarried and from lower socioeconomic strata. The duration of DS symptoms varied widely. Singh[46] studied patients those who reported with DS, impotence, and premature ejaculation and reported the average age of the affected to be 21.8 years with a younger age of onset.

Only a few patients received higher education. Bhatia and Malik[47] as mentioned earlier reported that age at the time of onset of DS ranged from 16 to 24 years. More than half of them were single. It was observed that most patients had some territorial education (91.67%) but few (8.33%) had postgraduate education or professional training. Finally, Bhatia et al.[48] studied cases of sexual dysfunctions and reported an average age of 21.6 years among the affected, majority being unmarried (80%).

Most of those who had comorbid DS symptoms received minimal formal education. Management. A Multimodal Approach As mentioned before, individuals affected with DS often seek initial treatment with traditional healers, practitioners of alternative medicine, and local quacks. As a consequence, varied treatment strategies have been popularized. Dietary supplements, protein and iron-rich diet, Vitamin B and C-complexes, antibiotics, multivitamin injections, herbal “supplements,” etc., have all been used in the treatment though scientific evidence related to them is sparse.[33] Frequent change of doctors, irregular compliance to treatment, and high dropout from health care are the major challenges, as the attributional beliefs toward DS persist in the majority even after repeated reassurance.[54] A multidisciplinary approach (involving psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers) is recommended and close liaison with the general physicians, the Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy practitioners, dermatologists, venereologists, and neurologists often help.

The role of faith healers and local counselors is vital, and it is important to integrate them into the care of DS patients, rather than side-tracking them from the system. Community awareness needs to be increased especially in primary health care for early detection and appropriate referrals. Follow-up data show two-thirds of patients affected with DS recovering with psychoeducation and low-dose sedatives.[45] Bhatia[49] studied 60 cases of DS and reported better response to anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications compared to psychotherapy alone. Classically, the correction of attributional biases through empathy, reflective, and nonjudgmental approaches has been proposed.[38] Over the years, sex education, psychotherapy, psychoeducation, relaxation techniques, and medications have been advocated in the management of DS.[9],[55] In psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral and brief solution-focused approaches are useful to target the dysfunctional assumptions and beliefs in DS. The role of sex education is vital involving the basic understanding of sexual anatomy and physiology of sexuality.

This needs to be tailored to the local terminology and beliefs. Biofeedback has also been proposed as a treatment modality.[4] Individual stress factors that might have precipitated DS need to be addressed. A detailed outline of assessment, evaluation, and management of DS is beyond the scope of this article and has already been reported in the IPS Clinical Practice Guidelines.[56] The readers are referred to these important guidelines for a comprehensive read on management. Probably, the most important factor is to understand and resolve the sociocultural contexts in the genesis of DS in each individual. Adequate debunking of the myths related to sexuality and culturally appropriate sexual education is vital both for the prevention and treatment of DS.[56] Adequate treatment of comorbidities such as depression and anxiety often helps in reduction of symptoms, more so when the DS is considered to be a manifestation of the same.

Future of Dhat Syndrome. The Way Forward Classifications in psychiatry have always been fraught with debates and discussion such as categorical versus dimensional, biological versus evolutionary. CBS like DS forms a major area of this nosological controversy. Longitudinal stability of a diagnosis is considered to be an important part of its independent categorization. Sameer et al.[23] followed up DS patients for 6.0 ± 3.5 years and concluded that the “pure” variety of DS is not a stable diagnostic entity.

The authors rather proposed DS as a variant of somatoform disorder, with cultural explanations. The right “place” for DS in classification systems has mostly been debated and theoretically fluctuant.[14] Sridhar et al.[57] mentioned the importance of reclassifying DS from a clinically, phenomenologically, psycho-pathologically, and diagnostically valid standpoint. Although both ICD and DSM have been culturally sensitive to classification, their approach to DS has been different. While ICD-10 considers DS under “other nonpsychotic mental disorders” (F48), DSM-V mentions it only in appendix section as “cultural concepts of distress” not assigning the condition any particular number.[12],[58] Fundamental questions have actually been raised about its separate existence altogether,[35] which further puts its diagnostic position in doubt. As discussed in the earlier sections, an alternate hypothesization of DS is a cultural variant of depression, rather than a “true syndrome.”[27] Over decades, various schools of thought have considered DS either to be a global phenomenon or a cultural “idiom” of distress in specific geographical regions or a manifestation of other primary psychiatric disorders.[59] Qualitative studies in doctors have led to marked discordance in their opinion about the validity and classificatory area of DS.[60] The upcoming ICD-11 targets to pay more importance to cultural contexts for a valid and reliable classification.

However, separating the phenomenological boundaries of diseases might lead to subsetting the cultural and contextual variants in broader rubrics.[61],[62] In that way, ICD-11 might propose alternate models for distinction of CBS like DS at nosological levels.[62] It is evident that various factors include socioeconomics, acceptability, and sustainability influence global classificatory systems, and this might influence the “niche” of DS in the near future. It will be interesting to see whether it retains its diagnostic independence or gets subsumed under the broader “narrative” of depression. In any case, uniformity of diagnosing this culturally relevant yet distressing and highly prevalent condition will remain a major area related to psychiatric research and treatment. Conclusion DS is a multidimensional psychiatric “construct” which is equally interesting and controversial. Historically relevant and symptomatically mysterious, this disorder provides unique insights into cultural contexts of human behavior and the role of misattributions, beliefs, and misinformation in sexuality.

Beyond the traditional debate about its “separate” existence, the high prevalence of DS, associated comorbidities, and resultant dysfunction make it relevant for emotional and psychosexual health. It is also treatable, and hence, the detection, understanding, and awareness become vital to its management. This oration attempts a “bird's eye” view of this CBS taking into account a holistic perspective of the available evidence so far. The clinical manifestations, diagnostic and epidemiological attributes, management, and nosological controversies are highlighted to provide a comprehensive account of DS and its relevance to mental health. More systematic and mixed methods research are warranted to unravel the enigma of this controversial yet distressing psychiatric disorder.AcknowledgmentI sincerely thank Dr.

Debanjan Banerjee (Senior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore) for his constant selfless support, rich academic discourse, and continued collaboration that helped me condense years of research and ideas into this paper.Financial support and sponsorshipNil.Conflicts of interestThere are no conflicts of interest. References 1.2.3.Srinivasa Murthy R, Wig NN. A man ahead of his time. In. Sathyanarayana Rao TS, Tandon A, editors.

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10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_791_20.

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