Despite the fact that vibrator sales are less discrete and can be easily seen on store shelves; there still appears to be a stigma attached to female sexuality that might make it more difficult to openly discuss these topics. The stigma comes from a variety of sources that include ideas of female purity, heteronormativity, and the medicalization of sexuality. Though we don’t see the diagnosis of hysteria anymore I definitely believe that this type of medicalization left a lasting impression on our attitudes regarding women’s sexual pleasure. Because sexual desire was historically seen as something that needed to be treated or fixed, there is a lingering sense that having a sexual drive means that there might be something wrong with you.
