ABSTRACT

When one thinks of Brazil images of scantily clad women dancing Samba during Carnival may arise. But away from the travel brochures and into the reality of Brazilian culture, one fi nds a traditional and sexually conservative society. Loss of sexual desire is commonly experienced by Brazilian women and according to Brendler, role strain is often at the root of the problem. Brazilian women are entering the professional workforce in record numbers but they are still adhering to their traditional values, which place prime importance on their roles as mothers, wives, and homemakers and minimize the importance of female sexuality. In this chapter Brendler demonstrates the value of helping women and men challenge culturally prescribed and restrictive roles in order to have a more fulfi lling sexual relationship. One of the fi rst steps in this approach to improving sexual desire is to alleviate the wife’s burden of responsibility for housework and childcare. Then, using the described “sexual menu technique,” Brazilian women “eroticize” their minds. With a wife more interested in sex, the therapist helps the husband understand the importance of seduction within marriage, rather than viewing sex as a male privilege in that relationship.

This chapter presents an excellent example of how to modify traditional sex therapy to be more culturally sensitive. It will serve as a template for culturally sensitive approaches to sexual problems across a variety of cultural contexts.