sterile, or
otherwise so defective that no child can result from the union.

As I stated at the beginning, it is a waste of time to _argue_ the
matter. Those who believe that sex relations are for racial purposes
only, are welcome to their belief, and are welcome to live up to it.
(How few of them do, though, honestly and consistently?) We must
reiterate our opinion that the sex instinct has other high purposes
besides that of perpetuating the race, and sex relations may and
should be indulged in as often as they are conducive to man's and
woman's physical, mental and spiritual health. No iron-clad rules can
be laid down as to the frequency. For some people three times a year
may be sufficient, others may require relations three times a month
(the best for the average) and still others may not be satisfied with
less than three times a week. The human _libido sexualis_ cannot be
put into an iron mould, and you should pay no attention to religious
fanatics who are ignorant of physiology and psychology and who can
only blunder and bungle up things.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

VAGINISMUS

Vaginismus--Dyspareunia--Difference Between Vaginismus and
Dyspareunia--Adherent Clitoris a Cause of Masturbation and
Convulsions.

By the term vaginismus we understand a painful spasm or contraction of
the vaginal orifice which makes intercourse very difficult, or
impossible.

Certain cases of vaginismus, or rather false vaginismus, may be due to
laceration or inflammation of the vaginal orifice, but in genuine
cases of vaginismus no local disease can be found, because genuine
vaginismus is of nervous origin.

_Dyspareunia_ means painful or difficult intercourse, from whatever
cause. It differs from vaginismus in that the cause is generally a
local one, that is, it may be inflammation, laceration as after a
confinement, small size or atresia of the vagina, etc. When vaginismus
is present, it is present in reference to all men, in fact the mere
touch of the finger or an instrument may call forth a painful spasm;
while dyspareunia may show itself with one man and be absent with
another. The origin of the word dyspareunia shows that this may be
the case, for _dyspareunos_ in Greek means badly mated.

Dyspareunia must not be confused with true vaginismus. In dyspareunia
the sexual act can be freely indulged in, only the act is painful or
disagreeable. In vaginismus intercourse is _impossible_. In
exceptional cases where th