Which condition initially prevents Raj from speaking around women?

Raj Koothrappali initially cannot speak around unrelated women because of selective mutism.

The condition is one of Raj’s defining early-series traits in The Big Bang Theory. He can speak normally with male friends, but the presence of women such as Penny often leaves him silent, forcing Howard or Leonard to speak for him.

The show treats the problem as a recurring comic device rather than a detailed clinical storyline. Alcohol temporarily lets Raj talk, although the series later reveals that even believing he has consumed alcohol can produce a placebo effect. He also experiments with medication, with awkward side effects.

Raj’s selective mutism changes near the end of season six after his breakup with Lucy. He discovers that he can speak to women while sober, although later stress briefly causes relapses. A common mix-up is confusing this condition with agoraphobia, which concerns fear of open or public spaces, not difficulty speaking to particular people.