Because of this, Garnier reasoned that frigidity was not a physical sickness, but a “neurosis.”12 Furthermore, Garnier was of the belief that “the primary function of the female genital organs [are] to increase pleasure in the male during coitus, and thereby maintain his erection.”13 Therefore, addressing frigidity for Garnier and his ilk was never about improving a woman’s experiences with sex, but about ensuring that she would continue to perform coitus for her husband’s pleasure. A woman was only a receptacle, a masturbatory aid.
