HELP WITH SEX PROBLEMS IN MARRIAGE. (.National Marriage Guidance Courtc 1964, 2s. 6d.)

So much has been written on these problems that the appearance of yet anoti1 pamphlet must prompt the question to any reviewer as to why and for whom it *

written and whether it fulfils its purpose. Although the authors give no reason why it was written, the colossal amount

ignorance still prevalent among lay-men (and some doctors) concerning marital ^ adjustments make it seem right that the Marriage Guidance Council should have

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own booklet for its special clients. As to the readership, the context indicates that i' for young couples still in love, who are puzzled because there is something lacking their physical enjoyment of each other but may not be sure exactly what. It is ind6' refreshing to find a book on sex which so many times emphasises love as the basis marriage?so many books on this subject seem to be written rather like the techn^ handbooks published for motor cars, which describe the workings of the engine well, but omit any mention of the driver as a source of difficulties. This booklet in many respects fulfils its objectives and gives a loving couple a bas

through which they can recognise the nature of their problems and, more import^ what it is that may still be lacking in their marriage.

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fo I^vitably omissions must occur in a pamphlet as small as this and some of these iWo?lons may perhaps occur since the acknowledgments indicate the authors were

3an^?r ex.amP^e> although the pamphlet stresses the difficulties which can arise when a

,exPerienced male marries a virgin wife, there is no mention of the converse where

Era'r^ln husband is confronted with an experienced wife, which may cause him to have Ve doubts as to his ability to satisfy her. Even more so are the problems which

1} ?. when neither spouse is virgin and expect their previous sex experiences to be

idist These appear to be new problems arising in this generation, with the wider r

ution of pre-marital sex experience more prevalent.

(det ..Sorne respects the lay reader may feel that not enough has been said about the

iTh" i ?^. 'ove making, the preparation for coitus and the achievement of orgasm. thafS ?

1S Peking in many marriages and indeed many couples still do not know 1 a wife should achieve orgasm.

[not Pln' feminine authorship reveals itself in emphasising that the wife "should

;an(j e neat, tidy and controlled in the sex act". This seems a very negative exhortation

' * feel that more positive and detailed instructions on the very active part to be

be f woman in order to achieve her orgasm is essential, if this booklet is to

to K an^ use *? a couPle confronted with one of the most important of all problems

e met with in marriage. realif, Scripti?ns of intercourse on page 16 would seem to be too vague to be of any

p. elp to a couple in trouble.

must when one recognises the Rorschach origins of the front cover photo, one

jnen what purpose does it serve other than to puzzle even more the puzzled lay-

who pick up this book for enlightenment?

Sp ?vertheless, this booklet is of great value to a young couple in difficulties and a

Peonl Worc^ Praise is due for the glossary and guide to pronunciation. So often

discuss are ^?St kecause ^ey do not know the proper names of the parts they have to

''s* ref erences is also valuable, but it seems a pity to have omitted the excellent .

'^ex Factor in Marriage" by Helena Wright which seems to give just the ai ed technical information which this pamphlet omits. Bernard Sandler