Psychology of sex - Total No. of Records in System :: 2032

THE ART OF LOVEand unconscious channels, while at the same time old traditionstaught women to repress as disgusting and sinfulthe manifestations of the sexual impulse. It thus happensthat in women more than in men the sexual impulse tendsto be driven below the surface, to seek an outlet in remoteand often unconscious paths, this indeed being the greatfact on which Freud seized. But notwithstanding the specialcharacteristics of the sexual impulse in women thereisno good reason to suspect frigidity among women livingunder fairly natural conditions. Even among the poorin civilization (putting aside a certain proportion of domesticservants who even still sometimes live, like domesticanimals, under artificial conditions) there are, as it is said,no "old maids/' and this suggests, without actually proving,that there is no defect of sexual impulse. But thecivilized woman, under the combined influences of Nature,art, convention, morality, and religion,has oftentended to come into her husband's hands, usually at arather late adult age, in a condition inapt for the conjugalembrace, which, if the bridegroom is lacking in skill orconsideration, may cause her suffering or disgust, or merelyleave her indifferent.there are various conditions in the womanCertainlyherself which in this circumstance may need direct attention.Masturbation and homosexual practices have frequentlyrendered normal intercourse difficult or repulsive.The sexual organs may be in a disordered condition, per-Sometimes there is ahaps increased by neglect. tendencyto vaginismus. In such cases the gynecologist's aid is requiredand itmay that with his aid the naturalhappensexual feelings quickly and satisfactorily develop and theorgasm is enabled to take place. But the main part of thetask in curing sexual anaesthesia in a woman must usuallyrest with her husband. He isby no means always equipped[333]