Many stories are told of a man and a married woman becoming physically “locked” together during illicit sex, until a traditional healer arrives to break the spell.
Across many African communities, it's believed that an aggrieved husband can use witchcraft to trap any man who dares sleep with his wife. Once the alleged spell takes effect, the couple can't separate, and the whole community has to negotiate with the owner of the juju to secure their release.
Dr Richard Mogeni, an obstetrician gynaecologist at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, describes penis captivus as a rare and temporary difficulty withdrawing the penis from the vagina. "
“It is thought to involve an involuntary spasm of the pelvic floor or vaginal muscles while the penis is erect. However, the exact mechanism is not well established," he says.
Documented cases have been linked to psychological stress, involuntary muscle contraction or substance use. The condition is rarely dangerous, and in some cases, lasts only a few minutes.
Pauline Achieng, a pelvic health physiotherapist at Aga Khan University Hospital, dismisses the idea that penis captivus is caused by witchcraft or that it's simply the man who gets stuck.
“It still draws back to something sort of like vaginismus. When they are having sex, the woman’s vaginal muscles contract very tightly, such that the man cannot withdraw,” she says.
“The more someone tries to force the penis out, the more the muscles contract. The response is not to panic or force separation, but to allow the muscles to relax," she says.
That may also explain why, in some of the traditional accounts, the arrival of someone believed to have the power to break the spell seems to bring relief.
"Because somebody knows it is witchcraft, when they see someone coming to take them out, their mind relaxes. And once their mind relaxes, the pelvic floor muscles relax automatically," Pauline explains.
So what should someone do if it happens? The first step is to stop trying to forcefully withdraw the penis, and instead let both people try to relax. Breathing techniques can help the pelvic floor loosen up.
“When such couples come to physiotherapy, we teach them relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, and some stretches of the pelvic floor for the women so that their muscles can relax automatically,” she says.
Anything associated with strong involuntary pelvic-floor muscle contraction, including anxiety, pain or conditions such as vaginismus, could theoretically lead to penis captivus. However, there's no well-established list of risk factors since the condition is poorly studied.
Dr Mogeni points out that forceful attempts to separate can cause pain, bruising, tearing or other genital injury to either person.
"If separation does not occur naturally, or there is significant pain, bleeding, swelling or other injury, urgent medical care is needed."
Still, no laboratory study, forensic examination or clinical trial has produced verifiable proof that herbal preparations or spiritual rituals can create a mechanical lock between consenting adults, which is why medical authorities classify the phenomenon as physiological rather than metaphysical.
