Human Sexual Inadequacy Research Articles

Sex and the Me Decade: Sex and Dating Advice Literature of the 1970s

Sex and the Me Decade:Sex and Dating Advice Literature of the 1970s Anna E. Ward (bio) In an article published in 1976 in New York magazine, author and journalist Tom Wolfe declared the arrival of the “Me Decade,” arguing, “The old alchemical dream was changing base metals into gold. The new alchemical dream is: changing one’s personality—remaking, remodeling, elevating, and polishing one’s very self … and observing, studying, and doting on it” (1988, 143). Wolfe highlights sex and sexuality as a key component of this “new alchemical dream,” and indeed, the 1970s saw a solidification of self-help and therapeutic approaches to sex and sexuality aimed at self-exploration and personal transformation. This solidification is particularly noticeable within the booming dating and sex advice literature market of the 1970s. In stark contrast to earlier iterations of this genre, these texts helped establish a market for individually oriented relationship and sex guides that encourage the notion that sex is a constitutive part of identity formation and a critical element of self-awareness. Given the considerable scholarly attention paid to the “sexual revolution” of the 1960s in the United States, the 1970s is often treated as merely an extension of the previous decade, or as a dramatic and unfortunate reversal of gains made in the 60s. This lack of attention to the specificity of the 1970s is troubling for two reasons. First, the 1970s was a decade of profound shifts in the terrain of sexual and gender politics in the U.S., including the two landmark Supreme Court cases Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972) and Roe v. Wade (1973); the publication of William Masters and Virginia Johnson’s Human Sexual Inadequacy (1970), Shere Hite’s The Hite Report: A Nationwide Report on Female Sexuality (1976), Alex Comfort’s The Joy of Sex (1972), and the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective’s Women and Their Bodies: A Course (1970); [End Page 120] and the release of Deep Throat (1972). The decade was also marked by high-profile battles over the Equal Rights Amendment and sexual orientation antidiscrimination legislation; both issues generated considerable steam for what would become a powerful force in U.S. politics—the religious right and its insistent invocation of sexual and gender politics as wedge issues in the American political landscape. Second, the 1970s was a vitally important decade for specifically feminist and lesbian and gay inquiry into sex and sexual politics, in which both domains (and their overlaps) exerted considerable pressure on popular sexual discourse. To ignore the 1970s as a distinct era of sexual thought in the U.S. is to miss an opportunity to understand the legacies of feminist and queer activism and scholarship and their continuing import for contemporary sexual politics. Revisiting the 1970s as feminist scholars may help illuminate contemporary struggles around sex and their feminist and queer implications. If the 1970s tends to be overlooked more generally, the role of dating and sex advice literature of this era, in particular, is grossly underexamined within feminist and sexuality studies, garnering significantly less attention than early- and mid-twentieth-century marriage manuals. While sales figures alone cannot help us gauge the impact these manuals had on people’s sexual behavior, the impressive circulation of texts like Comfort’s The Joy of Sex, for example, suggests that this literature struck a cultural nerve. The purchase and circulation of texts such as Comfort’s is, in and of itself, a behavior that warrants scholarly attention, particularly given that these texts had to be acquired in brick-and-mortar shops. The acquisition of guides such as these suggests a public increasingly interested in pursuing sexual knowledge, and titillation, beyond the bounds of traditional sexual and gender norms. In this essay, I first trace a brief history of sex advice literature in the U.S., demonstrating that the 1970s literature marks a distinct shift in tone, audience, and content from the literature of earlier decades. I then examine sex and relationship advice literature of the 1970s, considering mass-market literature alongside feminist writings on sexuality during the decade in order to unearth the connections between the two domains. By closely examining 1970s dating and sex advice literature...

AB021. Doctor-patient sexual communication

Sexual dysfunction is often associated with physical, psycho-social and emotional factors. It is a multi-causal and multidimensional problem incorporating the biological, psychological and interpersonal factors. For patients with sexual dysfunction, their sexual and social life has been physically disconcerting, emotionally distressing and socially disruptive. Sexual dysfunctions can be a symptom of deep-seated personality conflict. It is clear that psychosocial factors play an important role, be it causative or as a consequent of sexual dysfunction. With the increasing awareness of the role of psychosocial factors, a variety of therapeutic approaches in the treatment of sexual dysfunction has been developed. Apart from the comprehensive and detailed sexual and psychosocial history, physical examination and other laboratory tests, psychosexual counseling and sex therapy is deem pertinent for sexual dysfunction with a psychosocial or behavioral origin, as majority of these sexual dysfunction stem from psychological, social and attitudinal determinants. Psychosexual counseling together with sex therapy has entered into the mainstream medical professional world since the publication of Master and Johnson’s Human Sexual Inadequacy in the 1970s. This lecture gives an overview of the principles of psychosexual counseling and the PLISSIT model of sex therapy in the treatment of sexual dysfunction. It is important that healthcare providers become knowledgeable and comfortable in the psycho-social evaluation and treatment of sexual dysfunction, so as to increase the quality of life of these patients.

Clinical study on treatment of premature ejaculation with modified Masters-Johnson sensate focus exercise

Objective To study and evaluate the feasibility and clinical effects of the treatment of premature ejaculation with modified Masters-Johnson sensate focus exercise. Methods 100 male outpatients with premature ejaculation were divided randomly into two equal groups randomly. The experiment group was treated with the modified Masters-Johnson sensate focus exercise and oral sertraline 50 mg/day for 8 weeks. The control group was given oral sertraline 50 mg/day for 8 weeks. The scores were evaluated with CIPE-5 and compared between the groups before and after the treatment and after the flown-up for 6 moths. Results After treatment, the score of CIPE-5 were better in experiment group than that in control group (P<0.01). The effective rate 92% (46/50) in experiment group was significantly higher than that in control group 68% (34/50) (P<0.01). The relapse cases (6 cases) were significantly lower than that in the control group (22 cases) (P<0.01). Conclusions The method of Masters-Johnson sensate focus exercise for treatment of premature ejaculation has a good curative effect, and low recurrence rate, which is worth the clinical promotion. Key words: Masters-Johnson sensate focus exercise; Modification; Sertraline; CIPE-5

From the Editor of Sexuality and Disability: A Revitalized Voice is Being Heard Around the World

The continued increase in our journal’s 2012 Impact Factor and Citations highlights a revitalized voice between readership and authorship in the area of sexuality and disability. The significant increase of our Editorial Board Members this year highlights professional dedication in the area of sexuality and disability. The continued support from Springer and the wonderful talented staff highlights commitment in the area of sexuality and disability. As I write this Editorial Note, I am sadly informed that Virginia Johnson, the pioneering sex researcher who was part of the pioneering team Masters and Johnson has died at age 88. Dr. William Masters and Johnson conducted the inaugural modern research on sexuality and the treatment of sexual dysfunction that paved the way for the sexual revolution in America. Together they published several classic books, for example, ‘‘Human Sexual Response’’ in 1966 and ‘‘Human Sexual Inadequacy’’ in 1970. Now almost half a century later from their book in 1966, the mission to understand, help and educate society continues. For many, the interest and importance has increased. For countless, the fear has decrease or been eliminated. Most importantly, we whisper the words ‘‘sexuality’’ and ‘‘disability’’ less. Gratitude to those involved in making this difference. Sexuality and Disability continues to provide original impact articles addressing the mental health and medical aspects of sexuality in relation to rehabilitation, hospital, academic and community settings, publishing up-to-date articles, case studies, clinical practice reports, reviews, featured articles, historical articles, special grand rounds topics, brief research reports and survey data reports. Value benefit is provided to authors through worldwide electronic exposure and professional access, while readership gains from scholarly contributions to advance the field through research, best-practice and educational articles. The refined lens of individual contributions from the local and international community continues to deliver a wealth of information on the topic of sexuality and disability for the reader. Welcome, and thank you for joining us.

The Future of Sex Therapy: Specialization or Marginalization?

Sex therapy's claims to specialization may be exaggerated and ultimately damaging to the integrated treatment of sexual dysfunction. In fact, sex therapy does not have a unified underlying theory, a unique set of practices, or an empirically demonstrated efficacious treatment outcome. Paradoxically, the practice of sex therapy has gained widespread professional and popular acceptance since the publication in 1970 of Human Sexual Inadequacy by Masters and Johnson. Consequences of the widespread acceptance of this supposed specialization include the marginalization of sex therapy from other forms of treatment and the perpetuation of the notion that sex therapy is a special form of therapy requiring highly specialized training. This specialization focus also helps to perpetuate societal discomfort with sexuality. The very modest empirical success of most so-called sex therapy interventions and the lack of theoretical development suggest that sex therapy needs a recalibration in order to survive. It is suggested that the treatment of sexual dysfunction be integrated into the general psychotherapy enterprise and into a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial framework.

The effects of state and trait self-focused attention on sexual arousal in sexually functional and dysfunctional women

This study examined the effects of state self-focused attention on sexual arousal and trait self-consciousness on sexual arousal and function in sexually functional ( n=16) and dysfunctional ( n=16) women. Self-focused attention was induced using a 50% reflectant television screen in one of two counterbalanced sessions during which self-report and physiological sexual responses to erotic films were measured. Self-focused attention significantly decreased vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) responses among sexually functional but not dysfunctional women, and substantially decreased correlations between self-report and VPA measures of sexual arousal. Self-focused attention did not significantly impact subjective sexual arousal in sexually functional or dysfunctional women. Trait private self-consciousness was positively related to sexual desire, orgasm, compatibility, contentment and sexual satisfaction. Public self-consciousness was correlated with sexual pain. The findings are discussed in terms of Masters and Johnson's [Masters, W. H. & Johnson, V. E. (1970). Human sexual inadequacy. Boston: Little, Brown) concepts of “spectatoring” and “sensate focus.”

Onanism

Since Masters and Johnson, masturbation has become a kind of touchstone of sexual gratification. Human Sexual Response (1966) and their follow-up volume, Human Sexual Inadequacy (1970) were both decidedly products of the 1960s. Although once accurately described as “two of the worst written books in the English language”, these monographs helped create modern attitudes towards sexuality, and offered liberal western individuals blessed release from the guilt that playing with themselves might be harmful, or worse.

Psychotherapy of sexual dysfunction.

There is a palpable tension in the sexological literature between an empirical/biological approach that focuses on the phenomenology of sexual behavior and a theoretical/psychological approach that explores the quality of the subjective experience of the sexual encounter of humans. Both paradigms have made valuable contributions, but any theorizing about human sexuality or description of psychotherapeutic treatments of sexual dysfunction has to take the societal developments of this past century into account. As Tiefer (1) says, Sex is Not a Natural Act. Sexual habits and mores have been influenced by the Americanization of Freud, the Kinsey reports (2,3) and the emergence of pornographic media. Furthermore, the birth control pill, abortion and feminism shaped especially women's sexuality in a profound way. The Stone Wall Riot, Gay Liberation, and the Sexual Revolution of the 60s called longheld sexual beliefs into question. In the past two decades our sexual lives have been impacted upon by new technologies in reproduction, the AIDS epidemic, gender experimentation and transgenderism, the Internet and sex in cyberspace, and last, but not least, the remedicalization of sexuality via Viagra. Rather than of sexuality, we now speak of sexualities: anomie seems to be the condition of modern man/woman. Hence, we feel called upon to continuously reinvent ourselves: what (sexual) version of myself will I be today? Traditional sexual scripts (4) - the Who, Why, Where, What, When and With Whom of sexuality - have to be negotiated and renegotiated as individuals of divergent cultural and religious backgrounds encounter each other in the global marketplace of migrating populations. Radical conceptual changes in our notion of sexual problems and sex therapy have characterized the 20th century. Psychoanalysts, conditioned by theories of hysteria, tended to view sexual difficulties as indicative of repression and focused their efforts on the interpretation of intrapsychic conflict. With the publication of Masters and Johnson's Human Sexual Inadequacy (5), performance anxiety was postulated to be the basic ingredient to all sexual dysfunction. Therapeutic approaches utilized sensate focus and other directive techniques in order to promote an active relearning process. The initial optimism and enthusiasm of Masters and Johnson's pioneering work with quasi miraculous two week cures in St. Louis, however, gave way rather quickly to a sobering appreciation of the complexity of the sexual life of couples. Tiefer (1) challenged the scientific method of Masters and Johnson. She points out that these researchers do not refer to a human sexual response cycle (HSRC), but rather the HSRC, as if it were a natural constant. She questions the empirical validity of their research because the subjects were carefully selected volunteers with higher than average intelligence, more affluent socioeconomic backgrounds, and a greater level of sexual enthusiasm. They had to be able to experience orgasms with masturbation and coitus under laboratory conditions. (Not all of us would qualify! ) Given the selection bias, the findings could hardly be representative of ordinary men/women. Clearly, sexual response is not gender neutral. However, by establishing the semblance of gender equality, Masters and Johnson have, in fact, inadvertently contributed to a trivialization or denial of the social reality of women which is itself shaped by gender inequality. The focus on genital arousal and ability to achieve orgasm as the ultimate goal of a functional sexual encounter without consideration of the quality of the experience and the social context, in which the sexual encounter takes place, seems particularly unrepresentative of the emotional and sensual needs of women. In the long run, the idealized HSRC indeed became reified as a quasi EKG of sexuality. Even though common sense dictates that sexual response does not always follow a predictable pattern, couples define any deviation from the normative curve as BAD SEX and identify themselves as sexual failures. …

Practical guidelines for the management of erectile dysfunction in diabetes

Practical Diabetes InternationalVolume 12, Issue 5 p. 211-214 Review ArticleFree Access Practical guidelines for the management of erectile dysfunction in diabetes Dr. D Meeking MRCP, Corresponding Author Dr. D Meeking MRCP Research Fellow St Thomas' Hospital, London, UKResearch Fellow, Department of Medicine, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UKSearch for more papers by this authorM Cummings MRCP, M Cummings MRCP Lecturer St Thomas' Hospital, London, UKSearch for more papers by this authorKM Shaw MD FRCP, KM Shaw MD FRCP Consultant Physician Queen Alexandral HOspital, Portsmouth, UKSearch for more papers by this authorWD Alexander FRCP, WD Alexander FRCP Consultant Physician Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, UKSearch for more papers by this author Dr. D Meeking MRCP, Corresponding Author Dr. D Meeking MRCP Research Fellow St Thomas' Hospital, London, UKResearch Fellow, Department of Medicine, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UKSearch for more papers by this authorM Cummings MRCP, M Cummings MRCP Lecturer St Thomas' Hospital, London, UKSearch for more papers by this authorKM Shaw MD FRCP, KM Shaw MD FRCP Consultant Physician Queen Alexandral HOspital, Portsmouth, UKSearch for more papers by this authorWD Alexander FRCP, WD Alexander FRCP Consultant Physician Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: September/October 1995 https://doi.org/10.1002/pdi.1960120506Citations: 4AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat References 1 McCulloch DK, Campbell IW, Wu FC, et al. The prevalence of diabetic impotence. Diabetologia 1980; 18: 279– 283 2 Price DE, O'Malley BP, James MA, et al. Why are impotent men not being trealed? Practical Diabetes 1991; 8: 10– 11 3 Alexander WD. The diabetes physician and an assessment and trealment programme for male erectile impotence. Diabet Med 1990; 7: 540– 3 4 Ryder REJ, Facey P, Hayward MWJ, et al. Detailed investigation of the cause of impotence in 20 diabetic men. Practical Diabetes 1991; 9: 7– 11 5 Krane RJ, Goldstein I, Saenz de Tejada I. Impotence. N Engl J Med 1989; 321: 1648– 59 6 Lehman TP, Jacobs JA. Etiology of diabetic impotence. J Urol 1983; 129: 291– 4 7 Podolsky S. Diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunction in the male diabetic. Med Clin North Am 1982; 66: 1389– 96 8 Cooper AJ. Advances in the assessment of organic causes of impotence. Br J Hosp Med 1986; 36: 186– 92 9 Fairburn CJ, McCulloch DK, Wu FC. The effect of diabetes on male sexual function. Baillieres Clin Endocrinol Metab 1982; 11: 749– 67 10 Schiave RC. Psychological treatment of erectile disorders in diabetic patients. Psycbiatr Clin North Am 1980; 3: 337– 9 11 Masters WH, Johnson VE. Human sexual inadequacy. London: Churchill 1970 12 Close CF, O'Leary H, Ryder REJ. Trànsdermal glyceryl trinitrate in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in diabetes. Diabet Med 1994; 11 (suppl.1) S42: 110 13 Radomski SB, Hirschorn S, Rangaswamy S. Topical minoxidil in treatment of male erectile dysfunction. J Urol 1994; 151 (5): 1225– 6 14 Reid K, Morales A, Harris C, et al. Double blind trial of Yohimbine in treatment of pscyhogenic impotence. Lancet 1987; 1: 421– 3 15 Ryder RE, Close CF, Moriarty KT, et al. Impotence in diabetes: aetiology, implications for treatment and preferred vacuum device. Diabet Med 1992; 9 (10): 893– 8 16 Price DF. Managing impotence in diabetes. BMJ 1993; 307: 275– 6 17 Wiles PG. Successful non-invasive management of erectile impotence in diabetic men. BMJ 1988; 296: 161– 2 18 Alexander WD. The treatment of choice for erectile impotence. Diabetes 1991; 40 (suppl): 533A 19 Gerstenberg TC, Metz P, Otteson B, Fahrenkrug J. Intravenous self-injection with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and phentolamine in the management of erectile failure. J Urol 1992; 147: 1277– 9 20 McLaren RH, Barrett DM. Patient and partner satisfaction with the AMS 700 penile prosthesis. J Urol 1992; 147: 62 21 Montorsi F, Guazzoni G, Bergamashi F, Rigatti P. Patient partner satisfaction with semi-rigid penile prosthesis. A five year follow-up study. J Urol 1993; 150 (6): 1819 22 Pryor JP. Surgical procedures to correct erectile dysfunction. In: A Gregoire, J Pryor, eds. Impotence. An integrated approach to clinical practice. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone 1993 Citing Literature Volume12, Issue5September/October 1995Pages 211-214 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Masters and Johnson on Sex and Human Loving

Pioneering sex researchers William Masters, MD, and Virginia Johnson (later to become Mrs Masters) have written Human Sexual Responses (1966) and Human Sexual Inadequacy (1970). Although their impact was dramatic, these two books were stylistically severe and were dubbed least read bestsellers. The same cannot be said for their latest contribution, co-authored also by Robert Kolodny, MD. Sex and Human Loving is 600 pages of enjoyable reading. It is filled with helpful information for both clinicians and patients on intimate human relationships and sexuality. The illustrations included are of practical value. The anatomy, physiology, problems, dysfunctions, and treatments of male and female sexuality from childhood to late age are skillfully covered. Furthermore a useful index makes these discussions easily accessible. Contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, homosexuality, varieties of sexual behavior, coercive assault, sexual fantasy, solitary sexual behavior, love, communication skills, and intimacy are each given a chapter. A three-page subsection on

Paradise regained? A reply to Moser

ELLIS, H. Sexual inversion. In Studies in the psychology of sex (Vol.1). New York: Random House, 1936 (originally published 1896). HARTMAN, W., & FITHIAN, M. Treatment of sexual dysfunction. New York: Jason Aronson, 1974 (originally published, 1972). KINSEY, A. C., POMEROY, W. B., & MARTIN, C. E. Sexual behauior in the human male. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1948. KINSEY, A. C., POMEROY, W. B., MARTIN, C. E., & GEBHARD, P. H. Sexual behavior in the human female. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co., 1953. MASTERS, W., & JOHNSON, V. Human sexual response. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1966. MASTERS, W., & JOHNSON, V. Human sexual inadequacy. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1970. PERRY, J., & WHIPPLE, B. Pelvic muscle strength of female ejaculators: Evidence in support of a new theory of orgasm. The Journal of Sex Research, 1982, 17, 22-39. REISS, I. Trouble in paradise: The current status of sexual science. The Journal of Sex Research, 1982, 18, 97-113. SEVELY, J., & BENNETT, J. Concerning female ejaculation and the female prostate. The Journal of Sex Research, 1978, 14, 1-20.

Progress in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction

Over a decade of research since the publication of Human Sexual Inadequacy by Masters and Johnson has confirmed the effectiveness of psychological treatment for sexual problems, but has not advanced our understanding of aetiology very much. It is generally assumed that anxiety blocks normal function in sexual disorders such as impotence or frigidity, although hormonal changes have also been suggested. Evidence for either proposition is lacking. Our own attempts to understand mechanisms have included the use of a dismantling strategy to investigate the effective components of psychological treatment, and latterly the role of exogenous androgens. In our first study, brief treatment modelled on that of Masters and Johnson proved superior to another version of graded practice in sexual contact which lacked the counselling component. Similarly, the fuller version had more effect than did imaginal desensitization, suggesting that sexual dysfunctions cannot be treated like phobic anxiety. A second study focused on women complaining of little sexual interest or enjoyment. The use of a minor tranquillizer was compared with that of androgen (testoral) in the hope that different treatments would be shown to be best for different types of disorder. Unexpectedly, the androgen proved best overall while another variable, monthly vs weekly sessions, did not produce any differences in effect. In the most recent study, a further 48 women were given androgens or placebo, and were seen weekly or monthly for four months by either one or two therapists. There were few significant differences, the most consistent being greater subjective improvement by the women being seen at weekly intervals. The failure to find a positive hormone effect in comparison with placebo raises the possibility that the anxiolytic used earlier may have been counter-productive. If so, it seems unlikely that either excessive anxiety or simple androgen deficiency is an adequate aetiological explanation for female sexual dysfunction.

Evaluating sex therapy: Process and outcome at the masters &amp; Johnson institute

Abstract Research statistics on sex therapy at the Masters & Johnson Institute have been misinterpreted by some individuals. The category of cases reported in Human Sexual Inadequacy (1970) and Textbook of Sexual Medicine (1979) as failures actually includes both outright failures and cases that showed some degree of improvement less than unequivocal reversal of the sexual symptomatology. Furthermore, only one out of 50 applicant couples are denied therapy due to screening; many troubled marriages or couples where one partner has nonsexual psychopathology are routinely accepted for treatment. Additional descriptions of process and outcome research at the Masters & Johnson Institute are discussed to allow readers to develop a clearer understanding of the significance of these findings, including the fact that data on a sizable “waiting list control group” have now been reviewed.

Recent developments in therapy for sexual dysfunction

Abstract Since the publication of the book entitled “Human Sexual Inadequacy” in 1970, the work of Masters and Johnson in treating sexual dysfunction has become very well known. They provide a convenient baseline for discussing some of the developments in the field since that time, and this paper will consider such developments in defining sexual dysfunction, in the treatment strategies employed, in the selection of clients for such treatment, and in the assessment of their problems.

A short-term, intensive workshop approach for the treatment of human sexual inadequacy.

A rapid treatment approach to common sexual dysfunctions has been used in treating 59 couples, including 74 symptomatic individuals. Using a multidisciplinary team approach in an intensive 2 1/2 day workshop format, symptom improvement has been obtained in 86.5% of the dysfunctional individuals, with complete symptom reversal in 63.5%. The intensive workshop format has resulted in a saving of both patient and professional time and is seen as a viable and successful alternative to more time-consuming approaches of treating various sexual dysfunctions.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Sexuality

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Sexuality

Rapid treatment approach to human sexual inadequacy

Use of a multidisciplinary therapy team in a rapid treatment approach to problems in sexual inadequacy has been used in the treatment of 16 couples with common sexual problems. Dual sex interviews are done on each couple, followed by a sexological examination. Then a 2½ day intense workshop is used to give group instructions in couple communication, sexual anatomy and physiology, sensate focus training, and coital instruction with individual practice sessions. Explicit audiovisual material is used. Results have been good, with symptom reversal in 14 couples and improvement in the other two. Total treatment time has required only 34 hours of physician time.

Premature ejaculation treated by the dual sex team method of Masters and Johnson.

The treatment of premature ejaculation has always carried a poor prognosis and recovery in an established case is uncommon. In 1970, in their book “Human Sexual Inadequacy”, Masters and Johnson reported the treatment of 186 cases of premature ejaculation with only four failures. Their technique is based on the use of a dual sex team comprising a male and a female therapist who treat the “marital unit”, not just the dysfunctional male. The present authors report initial success in the treatment of two premature ejaculators using a shortened version of the Masters and Johnson programme, requiring only seven treatment sessions. One case is described in detail to indicate the disturbed interpersonal dynamics which may undarly the development of premature ejaculation and to illustrate the manner in which the treatment principles are applied in its management. The success of the technique seems to derive from a reduction of anxiety in the coital situation and a strengthening of trust and confidence in the relationship between the marital partners.

Human sexual inadequacy. By W. H. Masters and V. E. Johnson. Little, Brown, Boston. 487 pp. 1970

Human sexual inadequacy. By W. H. Masters and V. E. Johnson. Little, Brown, Boston. 487 pp. 1970

Human Sexual Inadequacy. By William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson. Pp. x + 467. (Churchill, London, 1970.) Price £5.25.

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