There may the fear of breaking a taboo. There are a number of taboos in many cultures related to physical intimacy. Even when a person is married, it is often difficult to turn off the effect of some of these taboos with which they have lived prior to marriage. There is the fear of loosing control of oneself, of abandoning oneself to physical enjoyment. Physical intimacy frequently involves giving up control letting go, and for a person who is afraid of loosing control, this can be an anxious situation.
Many people fear pregnancy as a result of physical intimacy.
Although contraceptive information and birth control techniques are readily available, people hold fears about pregnancy, perhaps from information or myths that stem from childhood or adolescence. These fears can interfere with feeling comfortable in a physically intimate relationship. There is the fear of guilt or condemnation either from peers, family members, or in some cases from the church. For many people, physical intimacy is a novel experience. For a person proceeding into a physical intimate relationship, there are many new things to experience.