Sexology

From ArticleWorld

Sexology is the science dealing with humans and sexual behavior and the study of human sexuality. Sexology studies all aspects of sexual development, mechanics of sexual intercourse, sexual relationships, as well as sexual malfunctions and problems. It is also a study of the sexuality traits of special groups, such as children, the elderly, and the handicapped. Sexology looks as sexual pathologies like sexual abuse and sex addictions.

Past Studies of Sex

Experts and non-experts alike have been studying sex for hundreds of years and a number of ancient manuals exist on the subject, such as Ovid's Ars Amatoria, the Ananga Ranga, The Perfumed Garden for the Soul's Recreation, and the Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana. Most of these treat sex as pleasure and not as scientific or medical studied research.

Early Sexologists

One of the first people to research on sex was Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing, who wrote Psychopathia Sexualis in 1886. Sigmund Freud also developed his own sexuality theory. Magnus Hirschfeld founded the Berlin Institute for Sexology in 1919. It was one of the first things destroyed by the Nazi's. Alfred Kinsey established the Institute for Sex Research in 1947 at Indiana University.

Extent of Sexology

Sexology encompasses many other fields of study as well. It crosses medicine borders with the study of andrology, the anatomy of the sex organs, and gynaecology. Neuroscience is studied to understand sexual reflexes and psychiatry looks at extreme cases of sexual behavior disorders. Psychology, anthropology, and sociaology are also in the scope of sexology studies. Sexology even goes outside of the human self and touches on more public issues, such as public health, birth control and abortion issues, and new reproductive technology. Law is used to make regulations on various sexual offences and criminology studies these sexual behaviors and offences. One of the most important sexology studies is that of epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases (STD).