Lecture Notes

It is also important to recognize that seemingly scientific or clinical terms may not be scientific at all. Instead, they may be pseudoscientific terms hiding moral judgments. What is considered abnormal or excessive is often defined moralistically rather than scientifically. For example, nymphomaniacs is not currently recognized as a clinical condition by the American Psychiatric Association, but it dates back to the 17th century.   It was popularized in the 19th century by Richard von Krafft-Ebing and refers to abnormal or excessive sexual desire in women. Physicians and psychologists use the term to pathologize women's sexual behavior if it deviated from the 19th century moral standards. Even today, "nymphomania," "nymphomaniac," and "nympho" are still used and retain pathological connotations. Another term, satyriasis, referred to abnormal or uncontrollable sexual desire in men. This was less commonly used than nympho because men were expected to be more sexual than women. Satyriasis is also not recognized as a clinical condition by the APA. It is important to remember to distinguish clearly between the clinical, judgmental, or casual connotations of the various terms.