Phallophobia in its narrower sense is a fear of the erect penis and in a broader sense an excessive aversion to masculinity.

A term whose meaning is synonymous with eurotophobia is kolpophobia; however; the scope of kolpophobia can sometimes be broader, allowing for the inclusion of all sex organs. Although eurotophobia does not have an interlingual classical compound, kolpophobia has a Greek etymological derivation with the prefix "kolpo" meaning a fold that usually alludes to the vulva. Eurotophobia is a hyponym of genitophobia. On the other hand, the term vaginaphobia is used to denote fear of female genitals in the context of sexual orientation. The male counterpart that analogously corresponds with this condition is called phallophobia.

Sigmund Freud has footnoted the possibility that this fear may be derived from a lack of ingenuity allowing one to ornamentally distance the copulatory organs from the excretory organs. Such a condition can affect both men and women. For others, symptoms include what characterizes a panic attack. It does not necessarily have to be induced by an uncovered penis, but may also result from seeing the manbulging outline or curvature of the penis, perhaps through clothes consisting of thin fabric. In more extreme cases it has been likened to the fight or flight response ingrained within the human body wherein an individual ceases to be intimate with their male partner and is unable to visit mixed gender establishments where people are likely to wear more revealing clothing, such as a gym, beach, cinema or livingrooms with a switched on monitor. The fear can recur through any of the senses including accidental touch, sight, hearing the word penis or thinking about an erection. The phobia may have developed from a condition such as dyspareunia, a trauma (usually sexual) that occurred during childhood, but can also have a fortuitous origin. In literature covering human sexuality, it is used as an adjective only to negatively allude to penetrative sex acts. Men who have the phobia may try to avoid wearing jeans and other light fabrics, especially in public. Some analysts have purported that the condition may be inherited or may be a combination of genetic inheritance and life experiences. For men with the condition, one of the byproducts is difficulty consummating with a partner due to a sense of vulnerability. This vulnerability may have developed during childhood because they grew up being told by their parents that sex and its physiological functions were evil, sinful and dirty, but were subsequently unable to detach such shameful feelings nor reverse it upon reaching adulthood, even when romantic initiatives were subsequently approved of or encouraged by their parents.

Although an average individual may have an aversion to particular bodyparts, the hallmark of eurotophobia is that it exceeds the disinclinations shown by most people, and is a trait that can inauspiciously affect both men and women. The condition is sometimes linked to erotophobia and can affect an individual's confidence in social and professional interactions. The condition can emanate from both a direct antipathy, to a woman's vicarious perception of what others, such as a spouse, might think of her vulva. Symptoms include anxiety, inhibition, distractions, anaphrodisia and an inability to construct a romantic relationship. People with such inclinations may express a compounded desire to substitute audible mentions of the vulva with euphemisms. The extent of the condition varies from person to person, with some feeling a sense of repulsion, others reacting only once evoked, avoidance of thinking about female sex organs or a sense of deep fear. Eurotophobia has also been given an account by Planned Parenthood in the lexicon section of their publications. Rather than being an anomaly some historical works point to cultures wherein eurotophobic behavior was mainstream such as those where couples would avoid copulating in illuminated areas to ensure the vulva remained out of sight.