Nymphomaniac: Why Is It A Problematic Term?

What comes to your mind when I say 'Nymphomaniac'? A woman with unsatiable sexual desires? A nymph bathing near the river? Or a woman suffering from a psychological disorder? In today's day and age, nympho or nymphomaniac is used for women who are overtly sexual and have sex with a lot of men to satiate their sexual desires. Women who are called nymphos or nymphomaniacs are seen as sufferers of psychological disorders due to their hypersexuality. But did you know that the nymph inside the nymphomaniac was actually a goddess or next to goddesses? Did you know that nymphs were subversive and empowered women desired by all men? How then is 'nymphomanic' a medical condition? Why then women labelled as 'nympho' or 'nymphomaniac looked down upon?

Who were Nymphs?

Nymphs originated from Greek Mythology and represented young beautiful women presiding over natural elements like trees, rivers, meadows, springs or mountains. Even though they were lower than the goddesses, they were summoned for the assemblies of the Gods in Olympus. Many readings consider nymphs as sexually liberated and accessible since they resided on the earth. However, some readings portray them as virginal followers of Artemis. 

In the paintings of the Rennaisance era, nymphs were depicted as sexual women and instigated discourse of female sexuality. Often represented erotically bathing, naked and more, nymphs were not objectified but rather empowered than the women residing in the families of that time. In fact, the paintings and magazines about nymphs, even though curated by men, became aspirations of women. 

How nymphomaniacs came into existence?

However, in the late eighteenth century, nymphs became associated with nymphomaniacs. It was a result of pathologising female sexuality that has been happening for years and till today. Earlier, female sexuality, masturbating or desiring was just considered as an immoral or illegal activity. But now, it has become worse by labelling such women as a nymphomaniac, a medical condition. 

Do you know how nymphomaniacs are treated? Removal of clitoris and ovaries, leeching of the vagina, cold bath, enforced bed rest, regular exercise, vegetarian diet and vaginal application of cocaine. 

Not only this, nymphomania is often used by lawyers to defend rapists by labelling the survivor as a nymphomaniac who aroused the perpetrator which led to the sexual interaction. 

Recently,  The Bombay High Court denied bail to a man accused of raping a girl repeatedly since she was 10 years old. The court said that the horrendous crime had turned the girl into a 'nymphomaniac.' is labelling the survivor as a nymphomaniac right? Do women who survive sexual assault have unsatiated sexual desires? Don't women who survive such crimes distance themselves from any sexual experience? Moreover, isn't labelling survivors as nymphomaniacs a way to put the blame on women? Society will be compelled to ask- if she was a nymphomaniac, how can she be raped?

Speaking to Dr Sudeshna Ray, the Medical Director of Gytree.com, said that it is quite unfair to call a rape survivor a nymphomaniac. She said that throughout her experience she has seen women who resist normal sex because of the history of sexual assault. Although Dr Ray mentioned that every woman has a different reaction to sexual assault, we cannot generalise nymphomania.

Why it is wrong to label women with sexual desires

Moreover, why are we even labelling women as ill just because they have 'excessive' sexual desires? Who decides how much sexual desire is too much? How can society label women as ill if the men they are with aren't able to satisfy them? Well, of course, if a woman is not satiated by her partner, she will automatically look for other men, right? What is the term then for such men? 

Let me reveal another fact to you. Men who have unsatiated sexual desires are labelled as satyriasis. But how often have you heard that term? It is not common because men's hypersexuality, masturbation and unsatiated sexual desires are considered normal. 

Still, women are reclaiming their sexuality

So what do we conclude? Earlier, women's sexuality was silenced and subverted. However, today, we are talking about women with excessive sexual desires. In act, women who lack sexual desires are also meeting doctors. Definitely, the sexual revolution has started a discourse on female sexuality. However, the discourse yet is shadowed by stigma. Even today, women with excessive sexual desires are labelled promiscuous- fir for casual sex, not for the ideal wife. While for men it is okay to even masturbate in public. 

How long are we going to live with these stereotypes? How long will hypocrisy subject women's sexuality to criticism and subversion? We don't know that yet but women are not afraid of these shackles. They are breaking it and reclaiming their sexuality. 

Views expressed by the author are their own