"Frigidity": a critical review.

Abstract

Freudian theory linking emotional development with somatic correlates has not been shown to explain certain phenomena from the laboratory and from clinical experience. Comparative studies, however, suffer from problems in methodology. Population samples may be biased by an absence of women more likely to be “frigid,” interview methods are emotionally superficial even though apparently comprehensive, and reliability and validity studies are generally not done. However, on the basis of these studies “neurotic” personality appears to be associated with sexual fears. Higher social class and younger age group are associated with less inhibition. Relationship to past personal experiences is more controversial, and there is less support for this hypothesis in comparative studies. Marital happiness appears to form a motivation for adaptation between partners. Successful treatment of “frigidity” has been accomplished by many forms of psychotherapy, including behavior therapy. In all types, nonconsummation has been very successfully treated, while treatment of orgasmic inadequacy has been disappointing. The absence of any comparative trials and the effects of self-selection of patients (especially in retraining schemes) make it impossible to compare the efficacies of treatment. Attention should be drawn to the similarity of nonconsummation to a phobic state and orgasmic inadequacy to a state of hysterical dissociation. This similarity would lead to an expectation, theoretically, of better results with behavior therapy and methods of desensitization and retraining.