Genital stage

According to psychoanalysis, the third social and sexual stage of a young child's development (after the oral stage and the anal stage). In the genital stage, interest in the child's own sex organs and in other people's replaces the earlier focusing on satisfaction of hunger and control of bowel movements. A genital personality is mature and no longer dominated by early drives for pleasure.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: (psychoanalysis) the fifth sexual and social stage in a person's development occurring during adolescence; interest focuses on sexual activity
  Synonym: genital phase

The genital stage in psychology is the term used by Sigmund Freud to describe the final stage of human psychosexual development. According to Freud's theories, this stage begins at puberty and constitutes mature adult sexuality.

Female sexuality and criticism of Freud's theories

Main article: Orgasm

Freud believed that at this stage, female sexuality shifted from being clitoris-centric to being vagina-centric. There is considerable criticism of this theory, as it portrays adult women who continue to enjoy an orgasm from clitoral stimulation as not having reached full sexual maturity.

See also

• Psychosexual development
  • Oral stage
  • Anal stage
  • Phallic stage
• Vaginal versus clitoral orgasms

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