The development of sexology as a discipline∗

The founding of the SSSS in 1957 was perhaps one portent of the sexual revolution of the sixties, which would break some of the power of the antisex forces. At the time, the Society had no competititon, whereas now there are various splinter groups. It would be better had sexologists kept united in the common cause of founding a new academic discipline of sexology. Meantime, there is no department of sexology in any medical school or teaching hospital in the Western hemisphere. Sexology, because human beings are a sexually dimorphic species, deals basically with a partnership, not an indivisual. It has four branches: experimental and investigative; clinical and therapeutic; education and training; and standards and certification. The SSSS and the JOSR can contribute to a more systematic and less laissez faire growth of sexology as an academic discipline.