Ego, Libido, sex drive finito?

After reading the first five pages of the New York Times article “women who want to want” I couldn’t help but see Lori Brotto as the Tyler Durden of sexologists. I found myself comparing the “erotically uncharged” women in her studies to the socially emasculated men in that film. (The raisin exercise is what started me along that path). The fact that her study implies that H.S.D.D. has nothing to do with actual physical stimulation (as proven in the genital experiments ) and everything to do with the cerebral connection to sexual desire confirmed an idea that I have heard and agree on that women’s libido are mentally driven more so than physically.

The fact that I automatically sought a testosterone frame of reference to relate to and understand this study is what the writer depicts as one of Brotto’s obstacles in her research. The “insinuations of patriarchal perspective” makes her work alienating for men and seems to create a lapse of dialogue for her submissions in the D.S.M. (Diagnostic and statistical Manual of mental disorders) for that reason Brotto has attempted to create new diagnostic language for the subject, which would distinguish her studies of female sexuality and libido apart from the male counterpart.

I find it interesting that Brotto quite accidentally found her calling as a sexologist. According to the article she began as an undergraduate freshman studying the copulation frequency of male rats, then amalgamated therapy techniques she observed being used for Borderline personality disorder with her own self affirmation experience during yoga (which is great for the libido in my personal experience ). She first began her therapy routine with gynecological cancer patients and then branched off to women with generally low libido with promising results.

I have always had an interest in psychology and the female psychosexual being. After reading Daniel Bergner’s article on Lori Brottos’ work I not only feel a little more enlightened on the subject but also will keep an eye out in the future for the formers writing and the latter’s work.