Vern L. Bullough

Alfred Kinsey and the Kinsey report: Historical overview and lasting contributions

The modern study of sexuality was dominated by the medical perspective before 1940. Kinsey, a biologist, brought to the study of sexual expression a taxonomic approach—that is, an interest in classification and description. His initial efforts were supported by an exploratory grant in 1941 and by the administration at Indiana University. Kinsey developed his interview methodology and conducted over 8,000 interviews himself. His results challenged many widely held beliefs about sexuality, including the belief that women were not sexual. His work contributed to both the feminist and the gay/lesbian liberation movements. He was determined to make the study of sex a science, and in large part he succeeded.

Are transvestites necessarily heterosexual

A survey of 372 male cross-dressers gathered data about present and childhood experiences and attitudes in light of the growing knowledge about transvestism. This article focuses on data related to sexual orientation, particularly in relationship to the definition of transvestism in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association. It is argued that transvestism is not necessarily a heterosexual phenomenon.

Should nurses practice therapeutic touch? Should nursing schools teach therapeutic touch?

This article argues that in the current setting of nursing practice, therapeutic touch should be treated as a religious practice. The article examines the religious sources of the ideas and documents the connection with the teachings of particular religious groups. Recognizing therapeutic touch as a religious issue requires new kinds of approaches in the practice and teaching of therapeutic touch in nursing.

Religion, Sex, and Science: Some Historical Quandries

Western beliefs about the ‘proper’ role of sexuality were set by St. Augustine early in the development of the Christian Church. His ideas were influenced by some of the ascetic beliefs of the time as well as his own personal experiences. The medical tradition was different, emphasizing sexuality as a biological fact and as a necessary and pleasurable aspect of life. In general, however, medical views were descriptive and not prescriptive. In the 18th century development of new medical theories emphasizing homeostasis seemed to give support to the Augustinian views and there was an outpouring of books about the dangers of sex. It was not until the end of the 19th century, with the discovery of bacteria as major causal factor of disease, that scientific views challenged the traditional religious assumptions. Public attitudes and opinions slowly changed to more positive attitudes about sexual matters. Gradually religious views also reinterpreted to conform to the new findings.

Medicine and Gender Dysphoria: A Brief Overview

Medicine has long been concerned with nonconforming sexual and gender behavior, but how this was defined depended, in large part, on the treatment modalities that existed at any given time. This meant that descriptions of the behavior were also culturally influenced, which means that it is difficult for later generations to understand the exact behavior. When medical professionals began to look more intensely at variant behaviors in the 19th century, they did so in terms of sex, and it was not until the last part of the 20th century that gender dysphoria emerged as a separate diagnostic category. Much of the progress in understanding gender dysphoria is due to the willingness of professionals to take a new look at their client populations, taking into account the expertise such groups have acquired. There is still much to be learned, by all concerned, about gender dysphoria.

Presidential plenary: Our feminist foremothers

This article provides a brief historical overview of the women researchers and popularizers of human sexuality during the 20th century. I look at some unique problems such women had and their success in overcoming obstacles.