Nymphomania
From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality
A term once used to describe the behavior of women deemed to have a pathologically high sex drive. The word nymphomaniac was commonly understood to mean a woman whose “abnormal” sexual libido drove her to constantly seek sexual encounters. The therapeutic community no longer recognizes nymphomania as a real condition, although some men enjoy fantasizing about “nymphos.”
Historically, the term made a value judgment—that a woman who seeks many sexual encounters is deviant or “over-sexed.” In reality, if a person’s sexual activities are genuinely satisfying and have no negative consequences, a high sex drive is neither bad nor unhealthy.
Sex drive can be a problem, however, if it seriously interferes with one’s work, health, or other relationships, or if it compels one to routinely search for risky sexual situations or have many sexual encounters, none of which is truly satisfying. But the underlying reason for such compulsive behavior is not so-called nymphomania. A woman may be trying to use sexual encounters to fulfill other emotional needs. If a person senses her sexual habits may be becoming compulsive, psychological counseling may help.
