15 surprising types of phobia you may not know

By Folakemi Olaoni

Phobia is an implausible, arbitrary fear of something that is unlikely to cause harm. People suffer phobia because they must have had a traumatic experience or probably had one or two challenges that must have led to it.

Most people react to things based on a past occurrence or trauma or even a frightening event. For example, a person that experienced drowning could be afraid of water (hydrophobia). Phobias, however, cause psychological and physical reactions that are sometimes difficult to manage.

Here are 15 types of phobias you may find surprising:

1. Fear of sex or sexual intimacy: Genophobia.

2. Fear of loud noises: Phonophobia.

3. Aerophobia: Fear of flying: Aerophobia.

4. Fear of men: Androphobia.

5. Fear of Kissing: Philematophobia.

6. Fear of beautiful women: Venustraphobia.

7. Fear of thunder and lightning: Astraphobia.

8. Fear of being alone or lonely: Autophobia.

9. Fear of getting hurt by someone in a romantic relationship: Pistanthrophobia

10. Fear of getting pregnant: Tocophobia.

11. Fear of public spaces or crowds: Agoraphobia.

12. Fear of blood: Hemophobia.

13. Fear of nudity: Gymnophobia.

14. Fear of marriage: Gamophobia

15. Fear of riding in a car: Amaxophobia

Credit: The Nation