Another common vaginal infection, perhaps even more often found, is the yeast infection. As the yeast organism grows, it creates a condition with symptoms similar to those found in trichomoniasis and gonorrhea. Ironically enough, broad spectrum antibiotics-normally so helpful in many cases-have the effect of killing off vaginal bacteria which keep down the yeast organisms. Thus, in treating one illness, we often open the door to another.

It is quite clear from Linda’s account that she willingly engaged in anal sexual relations. She was not forced into it by men who sought to work out hidden homosexual fantasies upon her. Not is there any evidence that she associated anal sexuality with “unclean” things and thereby derived extra pleasure from degrading herself in that manner. She displayed no signs of masochism, either overt or latent. Thus we can probably rule out two of the more common explanations of anal sexuality in human beings. We believe that another approach will be more fruitful.

Let us first note Linda’s extreme fear of pregnancy. She told us that even after she had begun taking oral contraceptives, she still had a deep fear of conceiving and had privately admitted to us that she had more than once considered having herself sterilized. There is also the matter of her extreme sensitivity to erotic stimulation. Her description of her first encounters with boys is graphic evidence of her ability to become aroused by even the slightest contact with the opposite sex.

Linda was thus superbly equipped with the sensory perceptions needed to gain a great deal of pleasure from sexual relations. She was also, however, gripped by a deep and unreasonable fear of the most obvious consequence of the sexual act, pregnancy. Her readiness to engage in masturbation with her boyfriends can thus be more easily understood. It afforded her an easy “out” and gave her an acceptable substitute for sexual intercourse. Her interest in the opposite sex extended to the phallus and she quickly became adept in fondling that organ, thereby providing her partners with considerable sexual pleasure.