ABSTRACT
Since the second wave of feminism began in the 1960s, it has been common for some feminists to assert that heterosexual activity is dangerous for women. Given the weight of conditioning with which men enter into relationships with women, given the way in which western society operates, it is argued that an egalitarian sexual relationship between a woman and a man is just not possible. However, since this second wave of feminism is decidedly post-Freudian, its proponents have assumed that sex must find an outlet, and for many women, the only choices possible have been lesbianism or masturbation. Until very recently, celibacy has neither been advocated, nor viewed as a positive option.
