Nymphomania

If we ask random people on the street this question: what do you call a woman who sleeps with many men?, the most likely answer would be a slut. Sometimes we might hear the word nymphomania mentioned. These days, we tend to hear less that fancy word nymphomania than slut when it comes to describing female sexual behaviour.

There is a huge different in term of meaning between slut and nymphomania. Slut is a social label which is used to denote sexual libertine females. Sometimes it is used in parallel with prostitutes. On the other hand, as fancy it may sound, nymphomania is scientific word ascribed to an excess of sexual desire in female. Nymphomania was categorised as disease rather than merely deviant sexual behaviour. Despite this difference, still there is a tendency to confuse these two words in every day use.

In nineteenth century during which a conservative sexual mores prevailed, nymphomania became a huge concern for the newly emerging medical science. Many works were dedicated to diagnose such thing. Medical science worked within the nature of male chauvinist perspective. As a result, female sexual behaviours were analysed and then constructed according to males’ vision on female. Although, science back then recognised male’s overindulgence on sex, which was called satyriasis, only female sexual behaviours that was perceived as menacing the existing values. Interestingly confusion was found within medical experts as to what constituted nymphomania. Many experts had different definitions on nymphomania. Nevertheless, the concept of nymphomania constructed by medical science was able to produce ‘the truth’ about women.

According to historian, Carol Groneman, who studied the term nymphomania in nineteenth century Europe, “the concept of nymphomania constructs a female sexuality that is totally out of control, both literally and figuratively: out of the control of their husbands, mothers, and doctors; and out of the control of the "natural laws" that supposedly determined women's passive response to male desire” . In an interview with salon.com, Groneman explained that the term is not “defining anything real”.

As the time went on, the relation between men and women has changed. It is relatively equal than what happened in nineteenth century or to be precise, more opportunities are open up for women to compete with their opposite sex. Similarly, the conception itself has changed. Instead of tagging women with a huge lust nympho, people favour a sort of general term: sexually active.

Despite this change, it’s not that easy for women to sleep around or to have a frequent fiddle in order to release their sexual urges. Society, to some extent, still sees sexually active women in a very subjugating manner. The expression, ‘only a slut who sleeps with a lot of men’ is often accepted as truth.