Penis Panic (1967)

A penis panic is a phenomenon where males believe their genitals are shrinking or disappearing, leading to mass hysteria. These events have occurred globally, particularly in Africa and Asia, with local beliefs suggesting that such changes can be fatal. Injuries have resulted from desperate attempts, including the use of needles and fishing line, to prevent perceived penis disappearance. In 1967, Singapore faced a significant epidemic, prompting a government campaign to reassure men of the anatomical impossibility of retraction and implementing a media blackout on the condition's spread.