DIRECT, PERSONAL APPROACH PUTS BOOK AT FIELD'S FOREFRONT.Byline: Jeannine Perriseau Special to the Daily News Armed with a provocative title, this book delivers exactly what it seems to promise - real people's personal stories of how they came to the professional field of sexology sexology /sex·ol·o·gy/ (sek-sol´ah-je) the scientific study of sex and sexual relations. sex·ol·o·gy n. The study of human sexual behavior. . The 48 first-hand testimonies and autobiographies, written by therapists, researchers, professors, prostitutes, magazine publishers, scientists and journalists, add up to much more, however, than interesting stories on what led people to the special calling of sexology. ``How I Got Into Sex'' exudes an overwhelming message that American society needs to address issues of sexuality in an honest, forthright manner. The more repressed re·pressed adj. Being subjected to or characterized by repression. and intolerant society becomes, the more sex offenders and abusers will fill our prisons. The importance of tolerance and understanding of sexual preferences outside of the heterosexual mainstream is underscored in this collection of intensely personal, intimate stories. Many of the contributors wound up in sexology through serendipitous ser·en·dip·i·ty n. pl. ser·en·dip·i·ties 1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. 2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries. 3. An instance of making such a discovery. professional routes. William E. Prendergast, Ph.D. wanted to become a medical doctor, but became more interested in psychology in school. After obtaining a master's degree master's degree n. An academic degree conferred by a college or university upon those who complete at least one year of prescribed study beyond the bachelor's degree. Noun 1. in clinical psychology, he accepted an internship at a home for boys. There, he was assigned a large number of boys who had been abused sexually or had abused others. ``My first major surprise and shock,'' he writes, ``was to discover that these boys were repeating the same myths and erroneous facts regarding sex that I had learned some 15 to 20 years before. I immediately ordered whatever materials I could find (mostly anatomical charts and illustrations) and began teaching sex education to these confused and mixed-up kids ...'' Considered something of an expert on sex offenses A class of sexual conduct prohibited by the law. Since the 1970s this area of the law has undergone significant changes and reforms. Although the commission of sex offenses is not new, public awareness and concern regarding sex offenses have grown, resulting in the , Prendergast went on to treat convicted sex offenders in prison and in 1967 developed the leading techniques for treating offenders that are still used today. Elizabeth Rice Allgeier, Ph.D., writes about how she tagged along with her husband in 1969 to a very remote village in Uganda to help him study and collect data on the natives. The tribe's shockingly different approaches to gender and sexuality led Allgeier to study sexuality further. She became one of the first university professors of human sexuality This article is about human sexual perceptions. For information about sexual activities and practices, see Human sexual behavior. Generally speaking, human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings. and has authored many books since then. Other contributors came to the field of sexology because they knew from an early age they were ``different'' from others and had to deal with this pain throughout their lives. Virginia Prince is a cross-dressing biochemist who lives married life as a man. Articulate and intelligent, she describes how the urge to cross-dress is so strong that denying it would mean destroying herself. Prince entered the field of sexology when she started the first national magazine for cross-dressers. She has since traveled the world, setting up clubs for others like herself. There are also accounts written by those who have undergone surgery to change gender as well as those who live as the other sex without undergoing surgery. Other particularly interesting accounts include Barbara Roberts Barbara K. Roberts (born on December 21, 1936 in Corvallis, Oregon) is a Democratic politician. She served as Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995, the first and, to date, only woman to be elected to that office. , a Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. therapist, who became a sex surrogate A sex surrogate is a member of a sex therapy team who engages in intimate physical or sexual relations with a client in order to achieve a therapeutic goal. The practice was introduced by Masters and Johnson with their work on Human Sexual Inadequacy in 1970. so she could better understand how to counsel her clients seeking therapy for sexual dysfunction sexual dysfunction Inability to experience arousal or achieve sexual satisfaction under ordinary circumstances, as a result of psychological or physiological problems. . Harry Walsh, Ed.D., an Irish-born Catholic priest, obtained a doctoral degree in sexuality after realizing that the celibacy imposed by the church really meant not just giving up sex, but giving up connectedness with other humans. Regarding his repressive Catholic training, he writes, ``No wonder I was expected to surrender my mind and will, lick floors, mop up urine, puncture and lacerate lac·er·ate v. To rip, cut, or tear. adj. 1. Torn; mangled. 2. Wounded. my body. All this training in how to disconnect from self and others was designed to strike at sexuality's center.'' Now he works within the church to counsel others on ``how to reconcile their spiritual and sexual needs.'' Well-written and beautifully edited, this extraordinary book surprises and fascinates. A reader is sure to feel more tolerant of differing sexual preferences, more sympathetic to those who counsel on sexual issues and more enlightened to the research being done on sexual matters. Title: ``How I Got Into Sex'' Authors: Bonnie bon·ny also bon·nie adj. bon·ni·er, bon·ni·est Scots 1. Physically attractive or appealing; pretty. 2. Excellent. Bullough, R.N., Ph.D.; Vern L. Bullough, R.N., Ph.D.; Marilyn A. Fithian, Ph.D.; William E. Harman, Ph.D.; and Randy Sue Klein, Ph.D. Data: 481 pages, Prometheus Books; $29.95 Our rating: four stars CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: no camption (book cover) |
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