13 APRIL 1991, Page 22

Sir: I enjoyed Vicki Woods's article on the press's obsession

with sex last week. With the exception of the Independent, most newspapers show an amusing double stan- dard about male and female sexual topics.

When a book of mine, The Limits of Sex was serialised by the Daily Mirror in 1981, I adapted it to their house style. I was told: 'You can use "vagina". "Masturbation" is OK because Marje has used it. And the editor has just passed "clitoris". But you can't use "penis".'

Celia Haddon

do Curtis Brown, 162 Regent Street, London W1