I couldn't believe that I was reading this in the news....
October 3, 2003
WOMEN are duty-bound to provide their husbands with sex on demand, claims a controversial book on achieving wedded bliss.
Wives have a "loving obligation" to have sex whenever they are asked for it - even if they are not in the mood, says American author Dr Laura Schlessinger.
The 56-year-old sex therapist and radio host says marriages will survive and improve if men are viewed as a "gift from God".
And she urges women to stop nagging and whining, saying: "Be honest girls, that's what we do".
Her book, The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, will not be published until January, but it has already been labelled "outrageous" by feminists, marriage experts and psychologists.
Dr Schlessinger, who has a PhD in psychology, has written 60 books on marriage and attracts 100 million listeners every week to her radio show.
Her moralistic views have often clashed head-on with those who view marriage as an equal partnership.
In her latest book, she writes: "If husbands are expected to go to work and earn money and visit relatives they don't like, why can't wives put out on demand?"
Marriage counsellor Jennie Bergat condemned Dr Schlessinger's remarks.
"It is outrageous. Women have a right to be tired and if a woman is not in the mood, a man should respect that," Ms Bergat said.
"When you sign a marriage certificate you don't surrender privacy and rights. She is declaring that women are chattels to be used at the man's whim."
The Australian