Volume V Number 2 November 1976 ISSN:0091-3995 Sex Information and Education Council of the U.S.

THE HITE REPORT: TWO PROFESSIONAL VIEWS

The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality. Shere Hite. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1976 (438 pp.; $12.50). [The Hite Report has already generated much enthusiasm and much heated debate, not only for the type of study it is but for the insights it presents and the conclusions it draws. Because of the interest this book has aroused, we have asked two leading professionals-Wardell B. Pomeroy and Leah C. Schaefer, each both a sex researcher and a therapist-to comment upon it from their own perspectives. Their reviews follow. -Ed.]

by Wardell B. Pomeroy, Ph.D. by Leah C. Schaefer, Ed.D. Psychotherapist, co-author of the Kinsey studies, Psychotherapist, and SIECUS Chairperson and author of Women and Sex

This is a remarkable book. There are several flaws in it, but I The Hite Report is without a doubt the most important book believe they are minor ones and the new information on on the subject of female sexuality since the publication of the female sexuality it gives opens new vistas and new insights Masters and Johnson findings. It presents the results of a into where females “are at” in the 1970s. Let me first deal with five-year study done by Hite in conjunction with the National the flaws, as I see them, and then go on to the important Organization for Women, New York. The work contains information this book contains. statements (nine-tenths of the book is quotations) of 3019 First, it is written with a decided women’s lib slant. The women (ages 14-78) who responded to an anonymous ques- author is director of the Feminist Sexuality Project and she tionnaire containing over sixty profound and personal ques- was formerly connected with the National Organization for tions-questions which in large part have not been asked of Women. Although I am very much in favor of women’s lib in women before. In a large sense, the book is an emancipation all its aspects, I do not favor biases or politics when they proclamation and a milestone: the first opportunity for enter the portals of science. Although Hite states or infers women themselves to define their own sexuality-to de- that only women can understand female sexuality, she is now scribe how they really feel about the intimate, practical, and conducting a similar research project with males. significant aspects of their sexual experiences, and how they Second, the author has used four different question- feel about their physical sexual relations with men (and other naires over several different years. Each one seems to be an women). Some women put in over twenty hours writing their improvement over the previous one, and it is certainly a answers. For many it was the first time they had ever voiced commendable effort to improve one’s instrument-but their most intimate sexual feelings, desires, fears, hopes, enough is enough! I feel results from all four questionnaires preferences. The result is an absolute wealth of information could have been combined without doing an injustice to the about women’s reactions and responses to sex and data. This is particularly true since differences were small sexuality-and a powerful emotional experience for anyone among the four samples. reading the book. Third, statistics are treated in a cavalier fashion, as if to Dr. Hite’s main findings are, first and foremost, that the say they are not important. For this book I would agree that majority of women do not orgasm as a result of intercourse they are not important but, since they are used upon occa- (thrusting during vaginal penetration), and that this is an sion, they should be used correctly. Most tables give a raw N unrealistic expectation which has placed a great burden on for each of the first three questionnaire results without even women (and men). This is not to say that women do not enjoy using percentages, for an idea of which the reader must use a engaging in intercourse for, on their own testimony, most slide rule, a calculator, or even just plain guesswork. I can do. It is simply that intercourse alone does not provide think of no justification for this omission, although I believe sufficient clitoral stimulation to lead to orgasm for most of the author is trying to say that statistics are not important, them. Although 30% of the women in Hite’s study did orgasm only the individual is. Her many, many individual statements during intercourse, for the most part they had very specific Continued on page 14 Continued on page 15 ISPEAKING OUT

THE HUMAN SEXUALITY MOVEMENT

The Three Marias: New Portuguese Letters. Maria Isabel In the last of the original five letters of the seventeenth- Barretio, Maria Theresa Horta, and Maria Fhtima Velho da century nun that are appended to the book, she finally Costa. Translated by Helen R. Lane. Garden City, NY: appears to recognize the basis of her enslavement to the man Doubleday & Company, 1975 (432 pp.; $10.00). who left her: “It seemed to me that I owed you the attrac- tions and beauties which you discovered in me, and of which The Hite Report discussed in this issue has counterparts you first made me conscious” (emphasis mine). The three in other parts of the world with similar messages. Marias from across the Atlantic recognized that women are In 1972, the Portuguese government arrested three Por- still paying out on a nonexistent debt. Hite’s women too are tuguese women writers and brought them to trial for their articulating in their own time and their own ways their need joint authorship of a book of letter-essays, letter-stories, for freedom t? be themselves and to owe to no man their meditations, and observations in prose and poetry. The book own attractions and beauties. was banned and all copies of it confiscated as an “abuse of In the September issue of the S/ECUS Report it was the freedom of the press” and an “outrage to public decency.” men who were speaking very similarly: “As you free your- The trial of the three women went on for so many months selves, free us to be ourselves.” The process of reaching that it became an international cause c&bre. Then, in 1974, toward a state of freedom in which both sexes can in fact and all charges were dropped and the judge proclaimed the New at last be themselves as persons may be long and painful, but Portuguese Letters a work of literary merit. it will continue as the most important element in today’s The writings of these three women have their well-spring human sexuality movement. in the Letters of a Portuguese Nun, five letters first published in the seventeenth century as being from a convent nun to her Mary S. Calderone, M.D. deserting French lover. From that simple baseline the writers move backward and forward in time, writing now as the nun herself to her mother and friends, now as her sister, now as her nephew, now as various women who had known the nun, and now as themselves to each other about themselves and about each other. None of the pieces is signed, for the Volume V, Number 2 November 1976 book is truly the joint production of the three. Each piece is dated however, the span running from March 1 to October 25, 1971. Thus these three women of today’s world suc- The S/ECUS Report is published bi-monthly. Subscriptions ceeded, in a little over seven months, in weaving a complex are sold on a volume basis only, with volumes beginning in and vivid tapestry of word images that, gradually taking on an September. almost four-dimensional form, spreads before us and illumi- Subscription rates: Individual, $9.95 for one year; Canadian nates the struggles of women throughout the ages to be- and foreign, f5. Institutional, $15.00; Canadian and foreign, come, and to be, themselves in relation to the men of their f9. Single copies of any issue, $1.50. worlds. It was naturally the portions of the book thatwere, of Queries about subscriptions and delivery should be sent to Human Sciences Press, 72 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011. necessity and truth, openly erotic that were the basis of the Editorial queries should be sent to SIECUS at the address reaction of the Portuguese male world against it and what was below. so clearly said by the three Marias: Maria Isabel Barreno, S/ECUS Report is available on microfilm from University Maria Teresa Horta, Maria Fitima Velho da Costa-each one Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106. in her early thirties, each one educated by nuns, each one Editor-Mary S. Calderone, M.D. married and the mother of sons, each one a working Associate Editor-Frederick E. Bidgood, M.A. professional-meeting twice a week to examine and record Copyright @ 1976 by The Sex Information and Education their common problems and feelings as women, and in so Council of the U.S., Inc., 137-155 North Franklin, Hempstead, doing revealing their giftedness as writers, as women, and as NY 11550. human beings. Library of Congress catalog card number 72-627361 The book is a crying-out, a lament, a call, from women No part of the S/ECUS Report may be reproduced in any form on behalf of women-but equally on behalf of the men to without written permission from the SIECUS Publications Office. whom the cries, the laments, the calls are directed, and who share the world with women. It is also cold and biting social commentary.

2 SIECUS Report, November, 1976 I I 1SPEAKING OUT

THE HITE REPORT: A LAYPERSON’S VIEW

-Did you know that more women experience orgasm hardest for most women to act upon in their own relation- from masturbation than from intercourse? ships with their partners. A woman who had been married for -Did you know that intercourse is not as important to twenty-six years, all the time timidly allowing for her hus- most women as are closeness, intimacy, touch, and freedom band’s needs to be met, exclaims: “The guy shouldn’t act like to “be,” and that the best technical proficiency between he’s doing seven years of labor: he should be creative. It partners, however exciting per se, is only a means to that should be a gentle, loving and passionate contact.” end? The book tells us refreshingly how women really feel .-Did you know that intercourse has been “in- about what they like and don’t like, and not how men, as stitutionalized” in our culture as the only permissible form of partners or professionals, think we should. I agree with Hite sexual activity? that it is high time for female sexuality to emerge from the -Did you know that lesbians often have the most underground, but because it cannot do so in a vacuum, sharing experiences, because they understand one another’s outside of a relationship, this study can help men as much as sexual and emotional needs? women in the invaluable sharing of basic needs and their -Did you know that Freud was the founding father of fulfillment, for the respondents were speaking not just for the myth called the “vaginal orgasm,” thus categorizing as themselves but for all women. As one of them said: “Any- “frigid” the masses of women who do not experience orgasm thing that helps women define their own sexuality on their without clitoral stimulation? own terms, and thus have more control over their own lives, -Did you know that the real “sexual revolution” may yet is something I want to be a part of.” come, if we allow for more quality, less quantity? At the outset the author states: “To us, in self-affirmation -Did you know that . I could go on and on citing and celebration, I dedicate this book!” I concur, wholeheart- highlights of The Hite Report, but the main point of this edly and hopefully. And since nowhere in this revealing study, which I salute with joy and reassurance, is that it is document do I find any malice against males, I welcome the high time for us women to take the responsibility for our own next study: “How do men really feel about their own sexuality. We must re- (or un-) define our sexual needs apart sexuality?” Mette Strong from the male interpretations which we have allowed for so long. As the study makes clear, “to orgasm” (a welcome verb) is something we should seek ourselves, rather than leave either to luck, or to his attitudes and needs. Hite says it 1DO YOU KNOW THAT.. . 1 simply, in summarizing responses to questions about inter- course: “You have to take care of yourself and want to please yourself, and you have to feel it is your right. You have to do Fellowships Available with M & J it, whatever it is-or ask for it, very clearly and specifically.” It is sad that even in the “liberated seventies” this The Reproductive Biology Research Foundation has an- assertive statement is still contrary to stubborn myths, to our nounced the availability of one-year fellowships in human culture, to the upbringing of most of us, to “the old days and sexuality and family planning, starting July 1, 1977. Phy- old ways,” to most male attitudes (their loss!), and to the sicians, nurses, and psychologists are eligible for these post- Judeo-Christian teaching that reproduction is the onlyraison graduate positions. The deadline for application is January 1, d’Gtre for sex and sexuality. This detailed and varied study 1977. Further information may be obtained from Dr. William brings out the tragedy of how most of us have been misin- H. Masters, Director, Reproductive Biology Research Foun- formed, as well as enslaved, by old dogmas. Those women dation, 490 Forest Park Boulevard, St, Louis, MO 63108. who have managed to free themselves to be not only caring, but also sharing and daring, have been sadly few indeed, especially within the marriage setting. AASECT’s Tenth National Sex Institute Women have a clear obligation to be honest, outspoken, and assertive, even at the risk of what is said to be the The American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and “castration” of male egos, to provide for more personal Therapists will hold its tenth annual National Sex Institute on involvement in mutual interaction. “Men too can profit by April 20-23, 1977, in San Francisco, California. Nationally opening up and reexamining their conception of what sexual- known experts in the field of human sexuality will participate ity is,” Hite states optimistically-l say optimistically because, in the workshops and plenary sessions. For further informa- for the most part, the very gutsy and honest feedback given tion concerning the Institute, contact AASECT, 5010 Wiscon- anonymously in the women’s questionnaires was by far the sin Avenue, N.W., Suite 304, Washington, DC 20016.

SIECUS Report, November, 1976 3 , BOOK REVIEWS

learning About Sex-The Contempo- own values very clear he also makes natural and spontaneous; and, of spe- rary Guide for Young Adults. Gary F. clear that they may not be for cial importance, help us to feel good Kelly. New York: Barron’s Educational everyone. Each person must find his or about the person we are. Series, Inc., 1976 (185 pp.; $2.95). her own way, and thus the book be- Throughout the book Gary Kelly comes a fine basis for discussion and explodes scary myths about many as- Reviewed by Foster Q. Doan, B.D., thinking, to help each person to dis- pects of human sexuality and em- Westtown School, Westtown, PA; cover just what his/her own sexual phasizes the constant search and member, SIECUS Advisory Panel. ideas and identity will be. Here the examination that all of us must go questions and exercises at the end of through. The marvel here is that he With the publication of this book, Gary each chapter are helpful and provoca- includes so much in such a brief space. Kelly has secured a vital beachhead in tive. A look at the chapter headings shows the ongoing struggle for sexual sanity. Summarized, the values which Kelly that he covers many different areas, but Without resorting to cuteness or finds important are: all in a lucid and helpful way. There is a sensationalism he has produced an en- 1. Our sexual feelings and behaviors good glossary of slang and technical lightened book which speaks truth in a are an important part of our lives with terms plus a list of organizations that calm, reassuring manner. It is very the potential for great pleasure and can provide information and help. It is readable and, as Mary S. Calderone enjoyment. To have sexual feelings and a book for which I, as a teacher of human sexuality at the secondary level, says in her Introduction, “There isn’t a fantasies is healthy and good. HOW- person picking up this book who won’t ever, the potential for negative effects have been waiting. It is also a book that find something of special help and is also present and that is why decisions should be widely read by adults as well. meaning in it.” regarding sex should be made with It certainly gives me hope that in the In the Preface, Kelly says, “This is a careful thought. not too distant future, sex need not be book which can provide accurate in- such a fearful, sensational, and over- 2. Each individual must spend time formation about sex, as well as helping mysterious matter as we make it today. discovering how sexuality is to fit into readers-particularly teenagers-clar- El, LT, A, P his or her life. That means learning to ify their needs and values relating to understand one’s own sexual feelings, sex.” And this is exactly what I believe sexual behaviors, and sexual prefer- this book can do. He writes accurately ences. It also means that in making about basic sexual facts, but avoids the A Guide to Healthy Pregnancy, Birth, decisions about sex each individual trap of being too technical. He writes as and Child Care: The Black Parents’ must look at the sexual values of the one who understands and who is still Handbook. Clara J. McLaughlin. New people who are important in his life, learning. He speaks of the confusion York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976 the values of his religious preference and worry which he has experienced (220 pp.; $3.95). and school, and the values of his soci- about sex, and emphasizes that the ety. matter of understanding one’s own Reviewed jointly by Jacquelyn J. sexual identity must be an ongoing 3. Each of us has a responsibility to Jackson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of process. show concern for other people who Medical Sociology, Department of Even more important is the way he come into our lives, whether it be in a Psychology, Duke University Medical places human sexuality in the total con- sexual encounter or any other way. Sex Center, Durham, North Carolina; and text of being human. One’s sexuality is which involves exploiting or hurting two of her students at Duke, Bertram E. related very deeply to all other aspects someone surely loses some of its posi- Walls, M.D. (specializing in Obstetrics of human personality. He discusses tive and pleasurable aspects. and Gynecology), and Larry C. Harris (a physiology carefully, but he makes 4. People differ greatly in their pref- senior medical student specializing in clear that the other aspects of being a erences for various forms of sexual Pediatrics). All three reviewers are sexual person include the emotions, behavior. No one can judge the “right- themselves black. feelings, and attitudes toward relation- ness” or “wrongness” of any of these ships with other persons. In all of this behaviors. Instead each of us must find McLaughlin sees this Handbook as a he writes honestly and realistically, but the sexual lifestyle which is best for our comprehensive guide to rearing chil- with gentleness that conveys a sense of own lives-one which will provide dren, from conception through six caring. great pleasure for everyone involved; years of age, for black parents. If fol- He is a good teacher: in making his lead to happiness and satisfaction; feel lowed, it indicates the children will

Audience level Indicators: C-Children (elementary grades), ET-Early teens (junior high), LT-Late teens (senior high, A-College, general adult public, P-Parents, PR-Professionals.

4 SIECUS Report, November, 1976 develop self-esteem and reach their velop self-esteem and maximum poten- The strength of the story is captured maximum potentials. The thirty-six re- tials within their children. in a description of the birth helper, for latively short chapters, developed with The handling of sex education was the birthing is attended by an earthy the assistance of largely medical coi- generally adequate, but several be- and warm-looking woman who could laborators and consultants, provide havioral proscriptions lacked explana- be a kind neighbor and who has some helpful, and, on occasion, re- tory follow-up. “Visiting the Doctor” seen so many born- dundant information and advice about was quite well-organized and written. It she’s helped the mothers pregnancy and early child care. is likely to be extremely useful to many helped the fathers primiparae. But few primiparae could The best portions deal with topics and her smile was calm and clear benefit from the inadequate descrip- common to all races, although the and she was here to help us. photographic subjects are black only. tion of labor and delivery. The weakest portions are those di- McLaughlin pleads too much for The plain, simple illustrations take rected specifically toward black par- black parents to use black obstetricians you into a plain, simple country kind of ents, the reason for the work. The and pediatricians. Such specialists are living with a daddy who carves statues Handbook fails here because the au- simply unavailable in many geographi- but also sweeps floors and waters the thor is too polemical. She asserts that cal areas. fern, and a mother who writes stories, mental and physical development The purpose of this Handbook was makes beds, and waters the begonias. among black infants is typically faster noble indeed, but, unfortunately, it is Here is a just-right book whose spirit than the standardized rates for white far less useful for black parents than a and information transcend such details infants. She states confidently that combination of the Speck works (easily explained today) as to why some early infant development is unaffected (which are considerably more com- babies are born in hospitals with a by the educational and financial status prehensive and informative about in- doctor and nurse in attendance and of the parents. Further, she indicates fancy and childrearing common to all others are born at home. Ecology- that hypertension is a serious genetic races) and Comer and Poussaint’s Black minded parents might even be willing disease common among blacks. Pre- Child Care (which is much more objec- to grant that it is worth “stripping the sumably surveys undertaken by her tive and comprehensive in covering bark from two white pine trees” to and/or her associates provided the data topics of particular interest to black weave a basket for a new baby to rock for these and other findings inter- parents). McLaughlin’s work is too ra- in. C, P spersed throughout the work. Yet, she cist and too sexist, as illustrated in the provided no bibliographic or other latter instance by her reliance upon the information about those surveys or re- masculine gender as a generic concept. Confronting the Issues: Sex Roles, search endeavors within the Hand- The work still needed is a primer about Marriage, and the Family. Kenneth C. book. This was a serious omission since infancy and early childhood for low- W. Kammeyer, editor. Boston: Allyn data about racial differences in infant income and single parents, including and Bacon, 1975 (482 pp.; $6.50, paper). development in the United States re- those who are black. A, P main inconclusive. Parental socio- Reviewed by Gary F. Kelly, M.Ed., Di- economic status does affect infant de- rector, Student Development Center, velopment. The etiology of hyper- Wind Rose. Crescent Dragonwagon. and Coordinator, Human Sexuality Pro- tension is not solely genetic. Pictures by Ronald Himler. New York: gram, Clarkson College, Potsdam, Knowledgable readers may well ques- Harper and Row, 1976 (31 pp.; $4.95). N. Y.; S/ECUS Advisory Panel. tion the legitimacy of the remaining content, or throw out the good with Reviewed by Mary S. Calderone, M.D., This book is designed to present some the bad. Less knowledgable readers President, S/ECUS. current major areas of controversy re- may become more confused and volving around sex roles, marriage, and perplexed. Their parental anxiety could I am reviewing Wind Rose because, the family. There are forty-one re- even be increased. The latter may also being a two-time great-grandmother, I printed readings by a distinguished list be misled unnecessarily by the author’s have, over the years, gotten more than of authors, carefully grouped into occasionally inadequate definitions of a little tired of the clinical viewpoint of seven sections. I always approach col- common medical terms. reproduction, but still detest the sickly lections of reprinted articles with cau- The Handbook is well-indexed, but a sentimental books about how babies tion, since they are so often rather dull, series of systematic flow charts, such as are born. Wind Rose is neither. outdated, or poorly organized bits and developmental and immunization It tells the simple story of love, con- pieces of ideas. Confronting the Issues charts, would have been useful to its ception, gestation, quickening, birth, left me pleasantly surprised by its users. and joyous welcome to a new life. The timely, interesting, and cohesive na- Cogent advice is offered about de- words flow along in just the kind of ture. veloping black pride, but many readers poetic rhythm loved by young children, Section I takes a fascinating look at will not have ready access to pertinent in the “l-we-you” manner they cherish the defenses of, attacks on, and alter- resources. More alternatives should and want to hear again and again. In natives to what is loosely termed “tradi- have been suggested. Also, the stress fact, they need to hear it in this way tional marriage.” Section II follows upon the roles of husbands and fathers from their parents as applying to their with five readings on love and premari- in childrearing was good, but own births, and parents can interpolate tal partnerships. The next three sec- McLaughlin ignored unwed mothers or such personal details with each addi- tions concentrate on childbearing, single parents who also need to de- tional reading. abortion issues, parenthood, and

SIECUS Report, November, 1976 5 family interaction. Section VI presents tions are): “Pornography is a frontier These theories generally invoke con- four pro-feminist papers, another four phenomenon, encompassing specific stitutional, conditioning, or cultural by critics of the women’s movement, material considered out-of-bounds by a explanations and play down psycholog- and one about the liberation of men. specific culture at a specific time.” True ical factors, whereas Stoller believes The final selections focus on contem- enough, but it would be thrown out by strongly in the importance of early porary sexual behavior, especially the the Supreme Court on the grounds of psychological experience and uncon- sex-related values of youth. vagueness. scious fantasy in determining such be- Kammeyer has skillfully edited a As the author gives us the benefits of havior. He describes certain aberra- book with his sights set on people. His his brief research into, and personal tions that he feels are not based on brief introductions to each section responses to, “Sex in the Movies,” unconscious fantasy, and these he nicely tie together some of the con- “Violence in the Movies,” and does not classify as perversions. Per- cepts to be discussed and present good “Censorship and the Movies,” in suc- versions have as their basis hostility overviews of the controversial issues. ceeding chapters, by far the most valu- toward authority figures in the indi- In my opinion, he fulfills his stated able aspect of his book turns out to be vidual’s childhood. These figures have purpose of remaining nonjudgmental his disarmingly confessional, tell-it-all victimized the individual, and the per- in his organization and presentation of openness about his own experiences version is powered by a fantasy which the articles, without innuendo. This from childhood to adulthood with sex relives the trauma but in which the should be a readable and stimulating and violence on the screen. Leach’s victim vanquishes the victimizer. In book for professionals, students of thoughtful and articulate insights into some instances the hostility is not con- sociology and psychology, and layper- his own and his family’s responses to scious or readily observed, but Stoller sons. A, PR seeing and thinking about films and feels that it always is there, embedded television help us to get somewhat or hidden in the unconscious fantasy. closer to an answer of what, if anything, All the above is relatively under- is really worthy of the title of “obscen- I Know It When I See It. Michael Leach. standable, but the argument becomes ity” in the mass arts. It is too bad that Philadelphia:’ Westminster Press, 1976 more complex when factors of risk and much of this short book is taken up in (153 pp.; $5.95). mystery are added as necessary com- retelling the oft-told tales of classic ponents, and the whole is related to censorship cases and the plots of suc- Reviewed by G. William Iones, Ph.D., sexual excitement. At this point there is cessively more “explicit” movies, when Associate Professor of Film Art, South- a suggestion that all sexual excitement what is good and fresh about the book ern Methodist University, Dallas, TX; is based on these elements, which is our chance to see how an en- member, Commission on Obscenity raises the issue of what is perversion lightened member of the public reacts. and Pornography; and member, and what is “normal” (or at least non- A SIECUS Advisory Panel. perversion). Stoller seems to say that it is a matter of how much hostility is When I began reading this book, I was involved, which, if so, makes the def- put off by its seemingly cavalier ap- Perversion. Robert J. Stoller. New inition of perversion as “the erotic proach to the very serious issues of the York: Pantheon, 1975 (219 pp.; $10.00). form of hatred” less a useful behavioral effects of screen eroticism psychological insight and more a and violence, the legal problems of Reviewed by Robert 1. Arnstein, M.D., catchy phrase without particular mean- ing. I say “seems” because the author’s censorship thereof, and the history of Psychiatrist-in-Chief, Yale University these issues in America. It took me Health Service, New Haven, CT. line of argument from there on became some pages to realize that Mr. Leach, very unclear to me, and I found the last an ex-priest, husband, and father of This is a difficult book to review. After part of the book very confusing. I could not understand at all the relevance of small children, was not posing as a reading it twice, I still find it confusing, media researcher or as a legal expert, and I am not certain whether the con- the last section on social issues. Some of it is not uninteresting, but it did not but was simply trying to organize and fusion results from my inability to un- seem well integrated. analyze his own responses to sex and derstand or from a certan unclarity on violence on the screen in an approach the part of the author. In some sense Part of the difficulty may proceed that combines “a gentle sense of the main thesis of the book is con- from the fact that several of the chap- humor with a little common sense.” tained in the subtitle: The Erotic Form ters have appeared previously in jour- The first task which Mr. Leach sets of Hatred. The author defines perver- nals as separate pieces. Although they for himself in this book (which receives sion on this basis and feels that it prob- appear to flow together, they may actu- its title from the infamous statement of ably relates to disorders of gender ally be less well joined than appears. Supreme Court Justice Stewart Potter, identity. He states in the Introduction, The final chapter, for example, states “I can’t define pornography, but I however, that his conclusions are ten- that the society needs perversion in know it when I see it!“) is to define tative and still need to be proved. order to maintain the family as the pornography. He attempts to do this A good start is made with a section primal unit. How this relates to the within a semi-historical perspective, on definitions in which a distinction is prior chapter about “sex as sin” was pointing up for us many of the radical made between “perversions” and “var- very unclear to me. These difficulties, and ludicrous changes in the public’s iants” as they apply to sexual aberra- for this reader at least, marred a book conception of what is pornographic tions. In so doing he rebuts various that has some excellent descriptions as from 1927 to the present, and comes up recent theories that have been ad- well as a thoughtful approach to its with the unsatisfying (as all such defini- vanced to explain such aberrations. subject. A, PR

6 SIECUS Report, November, 1976 HUMAN SEXUALITY: A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR PROFESSIONALS

The decade of the 1970s is witnessing increasing involve- Please note that the books on this list are not available ment of members of the health and other helping professions from S/ECUS, but can be obtained through local public or in their growing responsibilities for dealing with the sexual professional libraries, or directly from the publishers whose concerns and problems of their patients, clients, and stu- addresses are included at the end of the list. dents. This bibliography offers a basic selection of books Single copies of this bibliography and/or a similar bib- which provide both information and guidance in meeting liography for laypersons, “Human Sexuality: Books for these challenges. It includes materials both for those whose Everyone,” and a listing of SIECUS’ publications are available professional education encompassed a study of sexuality and free on request from SIECUS, upon receipt of a stamped, those who have had relatively little training in this field, self-addressed, #IO envelope. divided into general topic areas for ready reference.

BASIC TEXTS health professionals. Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, the Williams & Wilkins Company, 1975; $14.50 editors have added a number of new chap- IN HUMAN SEXUALITY cloth, $9.50 paper ters especially written for this book, all by leaders in the field. The topics covered are wide-ranging, making it an excellent refer- MEDICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY, ence. CLINICAL SEXUALITY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Williams & Wilkins Company, 1976; $23.50 Third Edition Harold 1. Lief, ed. John S. Oliven A compilation from the monthly journal An immensely informative contribution to SEXUAL MYTHS AND FALLACIES Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality be- the literature of clinical sexuality, this edi- lames L. McCary tween 1969 and 1974, this work contains 750 tion provides up-to-date and detailed cover- questions answered by over 500 profession- This book offers remedial sex education age of the broadest range of the sex life of by correcting common misconceptions als representing a variety of fields. It in- human beings: its earliest manifestations in about sex and sexuality. Interesting and cludes a considerable amount of informa- the child, through the pubertal phase of the scholarly, it is appropriate for lay readers as tion especially useful to the office prac- teens, and during the ever-lengthening life well as for professionals. titioner, offering a kind of guidance based span of the adult. It contains much specific Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1971; on actual experience with patients that is information not easily found elsewhere. $6.95 not readily available elsewhere. J. B. Lippincott, 1974; $24.00 Williams & Wilkins, 1975; $14.00

FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN SEXUALITY Second Edition PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN SEXUALITY Herant Katchadourian and Donald T. Lunde Nathaniel N. Wagner ANATOMY This revision of the widely used college- This book of 23 readings provides original AND PHYSIOLOGY level text in human sexuality will have inter- research materials in human sexuality, of est for a general adult audience as well as for interest to both college and medical stu- professionals. Topics covered include dents. The articles cover the anatomy of sex, ATLAS OF HUMAN SEX ANATOMY psychosexual growth, fantasy, masturba- sex role stereotypes, homosexuality, Robert Latou Dickinson tion, the physiology of orgasm, sexuality psychological factors in sexual behavior, throughout the life cycle, and the erotic in sexual behavior in cross-cultural perspec- The basic contribution of this pioneering art and culture. tive, and studies of the sexuality of special volume is the vast number of detailed draw- Ho/t, Rhinehart and Winston, 1975; $15.00 populations (elderly, swinging singles, etc.). ings of the range of variations in male and cloth, $9.95 paper Human Sciences Press, 1974; $14.95 cloth, female anatomy. Drawings also include in- $6.95 paper tercourse, contraception, and the process of fertilization and conception. HUMAN SEXUALITY Williams & Wilkins Company, 1969; $13.50 Second Edition, revised James L. McCary PERSPECTIVES ON SEXUALITY This revised edition of McCary’s widely James L. Malfetti and Elizabeth M. Eidlitz, CONCE’PTION, BIRTH adopted college text includes the latest data eds. AND CONTRACEPTION- and theories on the anatomy, physiology, Drawn from a wide variety of both fiction A VISUAL PRESENTATION and sociology of human reproductive and and nonfiction, from Plato to Playboy, from Revised Edition sexual behavior. It provides detailed Shakespeare to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Robert J. Demarest and John J. Sciarra anatomical illustrations where necessary. the more than 200 readings in this collection This atlas presents the basic facts about Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1973; were chosen to explore and deepen our human reproduction, but it is the seventy $8.50 understanding of concepts in human sexual- beautiful and detailed illustrations, realisti- ity. cally portraying the fundamentals of con- Ho/t, Rinehart and Winston, 1972; $8.00 ception, birth, and contraception, which HUMAN SEXUALITY: paw give this volume its special value. A HEALTH PRACTITIONER’S TEXT McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1976; $12.00 Richard Green, ed. THE SEXUAL EXPERIENCE This valuable book will not only assist HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE health practitioners, but also those in the Benjamin J. Sadock, Harold 1. Kaplan, and William H. Masters and Virginia E. John- related fields of counseling and referral in Alfred M. Freedman, eds. son the helping professions. It is well edited to Using portions of the section on include much concise information for human sexuality from their two-volume The report of the laboratory research and

SIECUS Report, November, 1976 7 clinical findings concerning sexual response HUMAN SEXUAL INADEQUACY THE PLEASURE BOND of men and women during various types of William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson, sexual activity during pregnancy, and in the On the basis of eleven years of careful with Robert Levin later years, the volume contains the most clinical research, Masters and Johnson This “how not to” book is offered as definitive physiological data concerning present findings for the treatment of impo- preventive medicine, and emphasizes sexual response so far developed. tency, ejaculatory disorders, inadequate themes of communication, trust, loyalty, Little, Brown and Company, 1965; $10.00 female response, vaginismus, dyspareunia, feeling, commitment, and growth. and sexual problems of aging. The book is a Dialogues between several groups of cou- basic and essential resource for all therapists ples and the authors provide a basis for and counselors, as well as for others seri- discussion. It is a strong but gentle, consid- COUNSELING ously interested in human sexuality. erate, and often profound book with a con- Little, Brown and Company, 1970; $12.50 servative tone. AND THERAPY: Little, Brown and Company, 1975; $8.95 THEORY AND PRACTICE THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND THE JOY OF SEX: A GOURMET PREPARATION OF SEX COUNSELORS GUIDE TO LOVE MAKING American Association pf Sex Educators, ASSESSMENT OF SEXUAL FUNCTION: Alex Comfort Counselors, and Therapists A GUIDE TO INTERVIEWING A finely illustrated, explicit guide to Following closely the recommendations Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry lovemaking and widely acclaimed by profes- and approach of AASECT’s earlier guide on A handbook for physicians and other sionals in human sexuality, it emphasizes sex educators, this booklet emphasizes health professionals which discusses the enjoyment of the total erotic relationship. counseling principles and procedures, and techniques of interviewing and describes Crown Publishers, 1972; $12.95 cloth (Simon outlines the scope of sex counseling and the typical sexual problems, reviewing the many & Schuster, $4.95 paper) requisite training. types of sexual difficulties related to medical American Association of Sex Educators, problems. Counselors, and Therapists, 1974; $1.00 Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry, 1973; $3.50 MORE JOY Alex Comfort SEXUAL AWARENESS: Emphasis is placed on enrichment of rela- A PRACTICAL APPROACH THE BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT Barry W. McCarthy, Mary Ryan, and Fred A. tionships and on personal growth, rather OF SEXUAL PROBLEMS than on the physical side of sexuality, point- Johnson Volume I: Brief Therapy ing out that freedom in sexual life is not The authors have collected much of the Volume II: Intensive Therapy always compatible with lifestyles in the best information about sexual functioning Jack S. Annon childbearing and childrearing periods, and and communication, and then presented it Volume I outlines Dr. Annon’s stages for stressing the importance of parental roles with exercises designed to enhance or attacking sexual problems, referred to as during the early childhood years in avoiding change sexual responses. Not only profes- PLISSIT (permission, limited information, the “hang-ups” that tend to plague sexual sionals but any adult, with or without selected suggestions, and intensive expression later in life. genuine sexual problems, can benefit from therapy). Volume II is both a practical book Crown Publishers, 1974; $12.95 illustrated, reading this effective and well-organized with detailed explanations as to how various $7.95 nonillustrated book. interpretations were made, and a theoretical The Scrimshaw Press, Inc., 1975; $8.95 cloth, book with explanations as to why the author $5.95 paper took the routes he did in treating sexual MARITAL AND SEXUAL COUNSELING problems. An informative appendix contain- IN MEDICAL PRACTICE SEXUAL HEALTH SERVICES ing inventories and suggestions for the tak- Second Edition FOR ACADEMIC COMMUNITIES ing of sex histories is included. Wilfred Abse, Ethel M. Nash, and Lois M. R. National Liaison Committee (Clyde E. Enabling Systems, Inc. Volume I: 1974; $9.50; Louden Rapp, M.D., Chairman) Volume II: 1975, $13.50 While the focus of this book is primarily Based on studies of a National Liaison on a physician and medical student read- Committee of representatives from the ership, it will be of special value to coun- American College Health Association, the THE COUNSELOR AND SEXUALITY selors in other fields as well. Four chapters Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Marianne Mitchell deal with essential counseling functions of and SIECUS, this work provides an introduc- An excellent beginning resource for the physician prior to and at the beginning tion to the problems and issues involved in school counselors, this book calls upon of a marriage, with an extensive discussion establishing and administering sexual health them to recognize their responsibility for of the premarital physical examination. services on a campus, containing helping young people deal with their sexual- Harper & Row, Publishers, 1974; $14.95 straightforward, practical suggestions as to ity within the context of a healthy personal- what students need and how to provide for ity, and provides important suggestions for those needs. integrating sex education and sexuality THE NEW SEX THERAPY George F. Stickley Company, Publishers, counseling in schools. Helen Singer Kaplan 1976; $4.50 Houghton Mifflin, 7973; $2.40 paper Dr. Kaplan offers a comprehensive and eclectic approach to the treatment of sexual SEXUAL AND MARITAL HEALTH: dysfunction, integrating psychoanalytical THE PHYSICIAN AS CONSULTANT FOR YOURSELF: THE FULFILLMENT and clinical techniques. A brief course of Clark E. Vincent OF FEMALE SEXUALITY therapy is outlined, designed for treating Dr. Vincent emphasizes the physician’s Lonnie Garfield Barbach couples on an out-patient basis in office role and responsibility in improving and In this book, Dr. Barbach describes the practice. The book includes an appendix of maintaining patients’ marital and sexual treatment program she has developed for 39 illustrative case studies, and tables of the health. Topics include marital communica- “pre-orgasmic” women. Valuable to both effects of various drugs on male and female tion, sex education, adolescent sexuality, therapists and women in general, it is a sexual function. In addition, other current parenthood, marital and sexual problems, tightly woven tapestry of. information and modes of sex therapy and their results are and a discussion of marital health as a new “how to’s” on the development and enjoy- examined, and Dr. Kaplan explores the health speciality. ment by women of their own sexuality. necessary qualifications for sex therapists. McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973; $7.95 Doubleday & Company, 1975; $7.95 BrunnerlMazel, Publishers, 1974; $17.50 cloth, $5.95 paper

8 SIECUS Report, November, 1976 TEENAGE PREGNANCY: Man and Woman, Boy and Girl, the book reviews thirteen studies which indicate that PREVENTION AND TREATMENT summarizes research on the process of homosexuality is not ipso facto pathologi- Philip M. Sarrel gender identity differentiation in individu- cal. It concludes that homosexuality and This pamphlet, SIECUS Study Guide No. als, and the possible genetic, hormonal, or heterosexuality are per se poor predictors of 14, discusses the complex dimensions of the psychosocial influences that result in the psychological adjustment. problem, including the inter- and intraper- taking of different pathways toward sexual Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1971; sonal, medical, and vocational aspects. A identity. It provides a detailed account of $2.95 paper number of existing programs designed to just how we respond to the plethora of meet the needs of pregnant teenagers are forces impinging on us from conception onward. LESBIAN/WOMAN described. Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon S/ECUS (distributed by Human Sciences Little, Brown and Company, 1972; $6.95 This is a book by lesbians and about Press), 1971; $1.25 themselves and others they have known. It examines all the myths and stereotypes that TREATMENT OF SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION don’t quite fit, and stresses the need for the William E. Hartman and Marilyn A. Fithian HOMOSEXUALITY lesbian to forge a viable moral system which The authors describe and explain the is more than a hand-me-down and which treatment of sexual dysfunction used at allows her to accept herself as a person, a their Center for Marital and Sexual Studies, HOMOSEXUAL: OPPRESSION woman, and a lesbian, in that order. and report on their findings and success. AND LIBERATON Glide Publications, 1972; $7.95 cloth. Ban- tam Books, 1972; $7.50 paper Based on Masters’ and Johnson’s proce- Dennis Altman dures and findings, their program has a A remarkably objective discussion of number of innovative aspects. homosexuality from the inside, the book’s THE LESBIAN MYTH Center for Marital and Sexual Studies, 1972; “central concern is the question of identity, Bettie Wysor $11.25 of why and how a movement for gay libera- A long and carefully researched treatise tion has emerged at this particular point in on various aspects of lesbianism, the book American history.” It also contains a critical deals at length with religion and homosexu- evaluation of much of the literature about ality and lesbianism in Western literature. GENDER IDENTITY homosexuality, both within and outside of The second half consists of extracts from the gay liberation movement. taped sessions in which a group of articulate Outerbridge & Lazard (distributed by E. P. lesbians discuss their lives and viewpoints Dutton & Company), 1971; $6.95 MAN AND WOMAN, BOY AND GIRL from a variety of backgrounds and perspec- John Money and Anke A. Ehrhardt tives. Random House, 1974; $8.95 An authoritative and technical treatment THE HOMOSEXUAL MATRIX of the differentiation and dimorphism of C. A. Tripp gender identity from conception to matur- Containing an extraordinary array of mis- MALE HOMOSEXUALS: ity, the work clarifies the interaction be- cellanea about effeminacy and inversion, THEIR PROBLEMS AND ADAPTATIONS tween genetics and environment, discusses transvestism and transsexualism, hetero- Martin S. Weinberg and Co/in J. Williams the research on the development of gender sexuality and homosexuality, the book de- The authors look at homosexuals as indi- identity, and provides insights into scribes the variety of sexual behaviors prac- viduals trying to cope with special problems homosexuality, transsexualism, sexual ticed by homosexuals and the numerous ways of adaptation to a lifestyle that is scorned by anomalies, and transvestism. people integrate homosexuality into their the larger society. It is a temperate treat- The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1972; lives, concluding with a plea that differences ment of problems faced in occupation, reli- $12.50 cloth, $3.50 paper in human beings should be respected. gious background, legal status, and per- McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1975; $10.00 sonal living situation, which are discussed SEX ERRORS OF THE BODY from three perspectives: relating to the heterosexual world; relating to the John Money HOMOSEXUALITY homosexual world; and psychological prob- Alan P. Bell The author discusses various types of lems. anomalies in development, explaining their This revised edition of SIECUS Study Oxford University Press, 1974; $10.95 causes, their psychosexual effects, and Guide No. 2 examines the nature, causes, the necessary sex education to help the and expression of homosexuality, consid- individual achieve successful sexual at- ering its place in the continuum of human titudes and functioning or to provide sup- sexuality, and identifying the unresolved portive counseling. questions in this area. The lohns Hopkins University Press, 1968; S/ECUS (distributed by Human Sciences MARRIAGE AND FAMILY $4.95 Press), 1973; $1.25

SEXUAL IDENTITY CONFLICT HOMOSEXUALITY: HANDBOOK OF MARRIAGE COUNSELING IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY Ben N. Ard, Jr., and Constance C. Ard, eds. Richard Green Martin S. Weinberg and Alan P. Bell, eds. Fifty chapters by contributors in many A full exposition of the theories, research This reference guide contains over 1200 disciplines discuss theory, techniques, and strategies, and findings in the study of the annotated entries of books and articles relat- subjects in marriage counseling. development of gender identity, the book ing to both male and female homosexuality. Science and Behavior Books, 1969; $12.95 includes illuminating detailed interview Entries are in three major areas: physiologi- material as well as verbatim transcripts of cal, psychological, and sociological. MARITAL THERAPY: interviews with adults and children who Harper & Row, Publishers, 1972; $75.00 discuss why they want to change their sex. MORAL, SOCIOLOGICAL Basic Books, 1974; $75.00 AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS HOMOSEXUALITY AND Hirsch L. Silverman, ed. PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTIONING This anthology describes the main points SEXUAL SIGNATURES: Mark Freedman in marital therapy, and explores the influ- ON BEING A MAN OR A WOMAN The book discusses the etiology of ences which seem likely to shape the field in John Money and Patricia Tucker homosexuality, examines the various ways the immediate future. An interpretation of the more technical in which normality may be construed, and Charles C Thomas, Publisher, 1972; $24.75

SIECUS Report, November, 1976 9 PROGRESS IN GROUP number of very specific recommendations gestions and techniques for communicating AND FAMILY THERAPY are made. with adolescents, but also explains what to Clifford J. Sager and Helen Singer Kaplan, Q. Corporation, 7975; $2.40 communicate and why. Originally prepared eds. as a report to the Commission on Popula- Fifty-two articles provide a comprehen- FAMILY LIFE AND SEX EDUCATION: tion Growth and the American Future, it sive overview of significant theoretical and CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION includes the principal recommendations of that Commission and of the National Com- clinical innovations in group and family Esther D. Schulz and Sally R. Williams therapy. Useful in teacher-training and curriculum mission on Venereal Disease, and reviews most of the available literature on adoles- BrunnerlMazei, Publishers, 1972; $25.00 planning, it discusses the philosophy under- cent sexuality. The book includes a large cloth, $9.95 paper lying sex education programs, teacher prep- and excellent list of resources. aration, and methods of program evalua- tion. The bulk of the book is devoted to Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1973; $6.95 cloth, $3.50 paper SEXUAL BARGAINING: POWER POLITICS specific suggestions for program content at IN THE AMERICAN MARRIAGE every grade level in a hypothetical school, lohn Scanzoni and emphasizes the importance of the THEIR UNIVERSE: This is an authoritative book which de- discussion-centered approach. THE STORY OF A UNIQUE bunks the myth of marital disintegration and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1968; $3.95 SEX EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR KIDS argues that the current disenchantment with Arlene Uslander, Caroline Weiss, Judith monogamous marriage is reflective of the FILM RESOURCES FOR SEX EDUCATION Telman, and Esona Wernick, in collaboration power struggle precipitated by the demands S/ECUS with James V. Higgins of women for equality. This annotated guide to well over 150 A remarkable study in which four teachers Prentice-Hall, 1972; $5.95 films and other audio-visual materials for followed first, second, and third graders for use in classroom and community group dis- seven years in their free discussion periods, SEXUAL DIFFICULTIES IN MARRIAGE cussions of human sexuality and sex educa- one hour each week. The broadening of the David Mace tion is categorized by both topic and audi- scope of these children’s interests and ence level. comprehension over each three-year A supplement to counseling written in SIECUS (distributed by Human Sciences nontechnical language, this book first con- period, and their automatic inclusion of Press), 1976; $4.95 sexuality as a central topic of interest, are siders carefully the physical and emotional health of the relationship before discussing both made clear in verbatim transcripts. THE INDIVIDUAL, SEX AND SOCIETY: Their spontaneous development of a moral the specific syndromes of sexual dysfunc- A SIECUS HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS value system is also apparent. tion. AND COUNSELORS Delacorte Press, 1973; $6.95 Fortress Press, 7972; $1.50 Carlfred B. Broderick and Jessie Bernard, eds. This comprehensive volume contains a THERAPY WITH FAMILIES OF series of papers dealing with the practical SEXUALLY-ACTING OUT GIRLS and programmatic aspects of sex education, Alfred S. Friedman, et al. the cultural and value context of sexuality, norms of sexual functioning, and specia! The underlying philosophy, methods of SEX ROLE CONCEPTS training therapists, and techniques of work- educational problems posed by sexual ing with families presented here are applic- anomalies and aberrant sexual behavior. able to family therapy and counseling, re- The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1969; gardless of the presenting problem. $4.50 DILEMMAS OF MASCULINITY: Springer Publishing Company, 1971; $7.50 A STUDY OF COLLEGE YOUTH THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND Mirra Komarovsky PREPARATION OF SEX EDUCATORS American Association of Sex Educators, Based on a study of college seniors in Counselors, and Therapists 1969-70, the book examines the role strains SEX EDUCATION in the academic, vocational, social, and sex- This booklet, prepared by AASECT’s Train- ual lives of college males. While not ing and Standards Committee, outlines the generalized to the male population as a scope of knowledge, personal qualities, and whole, it provides thought-provoking in- A CREATIVE APPROACH TO professional skills essential for anyone formation about a male group perhaps most SEX EDUCATION AND COUNSELING working in this field. currently touched by the movement toward Patricia Schiller American Association of Sex Educators, egalitarian relationships. Counselors, and Therapists, 1972; $1.00 An informed look at sex education and W. W. Norton & Company, 1976; $9.95 counseling in the context of human rela- tions, the group-centered techniques/ A SELECTIVE GUIDE outlines for teaching and for educator/ TO MATERIALS FOR MENTAL HEALTH THE FEMALE ORGASM: counselor training reflect this approach. The AND FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION PSYCHOLOGY, PHYSIOLOGY, FANTASY book includes discussion of teaching Mental Health Materials Center Seymour Fisher techniques and model training programs, This is an invaluable resource for the A study reporting on the results of a and guidelines on curriculum planning. selection and evaluation of materials in the five-year research project on female orgasm Association Press, 1973; $12.00 fields of mental health and family life educa- and women’s attitudes toward sexuality, it tion. Each of the more than 500 pamphlets, includes a review of the literature in the films, filmstrips, and other materials is re- field, with 1200 annotated references. EDUCATION AND TREATMENT viewed in depth, and the volume runs to Basic Books, 1973; $15.00 IN HUMAN SEXUALITY: THE TRAINING more than 900 pages. OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS Mental Health Materials Center, 1976; $65.00 Technical Report No. 572 cloth, $52.50 paper THE HITE REPORT World Health Organization Shere Hite A breakthrough publication, this is the Based on responses to in-depth question- THE SEXUAL ADOLESCENT: result of a Geneva conference of physicians naires returned by some 3000 women, this COMMUNICATING WITH from fourteen countries, emphasizing a provocative and revealing study examines TEENAGERS ABOUT SEX positive approach to the need to involve the subject of female sexuality from the basic workers in health education and family Sol Gordon inside-what women really think and feel planning programs in different cultures. A A book for professionals and concerned about themselves sexually. More concerned definition of sexual health is offered, and a laypersons, it not only offers practical sug- with feelings and attitudes than statistics, it

IO SIECUS Report, November, 1976 makes extensive use of direct quotes to SEXUAL BEHAVIOR illustrate the various topics and concludes SOCIOLOGICAL, IN THE HUMAN FEMALE that women must define their own sexuality Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell B. Pomeroy, Clyde for themselves. CROSS-CULTURAL, AND E. Martin, and Paul Gebhard Macmillan Publishing Company, 1976; $72.50 HISTORICAL STUDIES The companion study to the male volume but done with more statistical sophistica- MEN AND MASCULINITY tion, the book contrasts data on male and Joseph H. Pleck and lack Sawyer, eds. female sexual response in addition to the ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY findings on female sexual behavior. Each article in this volume discusses the IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICA W. B. Saunders Company, 1953; $10.00 meaning of masculinity from the individual Robert C. Sorensen perspective of the author. The contributors This study of adolescent sexual behavior are an eclectic group, writing from many SEXUAL BEHAVIOR viewpoints-gay and straight, student and and attitudes contains data for the re- IN THE HUMAN MALE searcher and other professionals in human executive, black and white, married and Alfred C. Kinsey, Wardell B. Pomeroy, and single-and in many moods, providing a sexuality, and raises important questions Clyde E. Martin broad-range examination of the topic. about trends and meanings in contemporary The first of the famous Kinsey Reports and Spectrum Books (Prentice-Hall), 7974; $2.95 adolescent sexual behavior. World Publishing Company, 1973; $20.00 a pioneering study of male sexual behavior, it demonstrated statistically for the first time THE NATURE AND EVOLUTION how wide the gap had become between OF FEMALE SEXUALITY CONTEMPORARY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: officially sanctioned and actual sexual be- Mary Jane Sherfey CRITICAL ISSUES IN THE 1970’S havior in our society. Joseph Zubin and John Money, eds. W. B. Saunders Company, 1948; $9.50 Citing embryological evidence, the author demonstrates that the primary or original Recommended for research scholars, educators, and clinicians interested in the human organism is female. Using data from SEXUAL BEHAVIORS: SOCIAL, CLINICAL scope of sex research in the early 197Os, this ethology, anatomy, physiology, and clinical AND LEGAL ASPECTS work’s topic areas include the relation of practice, she explores and explains wom- H. L. P. Resnik and Marvin E. Wolfgang, eds. en’s almost limitless capacity for sexual neurology and endocrinology of subhuman Articles from a variety of disciplines focus arousal and orgasm, and discusses the possi- species to human sexual behavior; mater- on several aspects of evaluation and treat- ble implications of women’s sexual nature nalism and women’s sexuality; integration ment of sex offenders, and discuss current for society, now and in the past. of clinical and behavioral approaches; the legal and psychiatric modalities. Random House, 1972; $5.95 brain and sexual behavior; and sex educa- tion for the professional. Little, Brown and Company, 1972; $15.00 The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1973; $15.00 SEXUALITY AND HUMAN VALUES OUR BODIES, OURSELVES Mary S. Calderone, ed. Second Edition Boston Women’s Health Book Collective ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR This book is the result of a unique con- Albert Ellis and Albert Abarbanel, eds. ference sponsored by SIECUS in 1971 that Written by nonprofessionals but with pro- brought together religious leaders and lead- fessional competence, this book presents A number of authorities from various ing sex researchers. The latter sought to educational, personal, and scientific mate- fields contributed to this reference work. present to the religious communities cur- rial about human sexuality and health care. There are helpful bibliographies for each rent research data about how various as- The second edition contains much new subject that make this a basic resource. pects of sexuality and values develop in the material, while other chapters have been Hawthorne Books, 1967; $17.50 human being, while the religionists in turn largely revised and updated. Professionals discussed the moral and theological implica- will find it valuable in deepening their un- HUMAN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR tions of these findings. derstanding of women’s needs and expecta- Donald S. Marshall and Robert S. Sugges Association Press, 7975; $7.95 tions in health care. Simon & Schuster, 1975; $4.95 This is a cross-cultural study of human sexual behavior which describes ten con- temporary societies ranging from sexually SPECIAL CONCERNS permissive to highly repressive. Written by HUMAN SEXUALITY AND THE PHALLOS: A SYMBOL AND anthropologists and sociologists, the selec- MENTALLY RETARDED ITS HISTORY IN THE MALE WORLD tions make a valuable ethnographic record. Thorkil Vangaard An annotated bibliography of selected Felix F. de la Cruz and Gerald D. Laveck, eds. Providing a valuable perspective on the studies on cross-cultural sexual behavior cultural relativity of human sexual mores, and methodological guidance for such The proceedings of a 1971 conference at this book discuses the phallus as a symbol of studies is included. which fifty authorities in medicine, genetics, masculine power and dominance, and Basic Books, 7977; $10.00 cloth, $2.45 paper law, religion, and other disciplines met to traces the growth of suppression of examine the physical and psychological as- homosexual behavior in the West. pects of sexual behavior and relate them to PATTERNS OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR International Universities Press, 1972; $9.00 the special needs of those with learning C/e//an S. Ford and Frank A. Beach handicaps, the book presents a comprehen- A classic on sexual behavior, it condenses sive overview of the field. a vast amount of anthropological, cross- BrunnerlMazel, Publishers, 1973; $8.95 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES cultural, and biological information. Eleanor Maccoby and Carol Jack/in Harper & Row, Publishers, 1951; $6.50 The book reviews and evaluates the ex- LOVE IN THE LATER YEARS perimental and theoretical literature on James A. Peterson and Barbara Payne psychological sex differences. After survey- SEX OFFENDERS-AN ANALYSIS OF TYPES Written by two well-known geron- ing studies dealing with intellectual, percep- Paul H. Cebhard, John Gagnon, Wardell B. tologists, this book for both professionals tual, learning and memory, achievement, Pomeroy, and Cornelia V. Christenson and persons approaching their later years sexual, emotional, and activity differences This study from the Institute for Sex Re- reports ample research to demolish the between females and males, the authors search contrasts the case histories of men in myths about sex and aging, and describes discuss the theories offered to explain these prison for sex offenses with a control group through case studies how older adults can differences. of males. have a rewarding sex life in their later years. Stanford University Press, 7974; $18.95 Harper & Row, Publishers, 7965; $75.00 Association Press, 1975; $7.95

SIECUS Report, November, 1976 11 A RESOURCE GUIDE IN SEX EDUCATION SEX EDUCATION AND FAMILY LIFE SEXUAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE MENTALLY RETARDED FOR VISUALLY HANDICAPPED CHILDREN OF THE MENTALLY RETARDED Revised Edition AND YOUTH: A RESOURCE GUIDE Medora S. Bass, ed. S/ECUS and the American Alliance for S/ECUS and the American Foundation for The proceedings of a 1972 conference Health, Physical Education and Recreation the Blind (AFB) sponsored by the American Association on (AAHPER) Designed to help persons working with Mental Deficiency, this book comes to grips An aid to educators, counselors, and visually handicapped children and youth to with social attitudes and educational policy others working with the retarded, it in- understand basic concepts and problems relating to the sexual rights of the retarded. cludes sample lessons, an overview of cur- with curriculum development, parental in- Several community and institutional pro- riculum concepts and content, and a de- volvement, and teacher training, it also in- grams are described, and a bibliography tailed list of written and audio-visual re- cludes an extensive list of instructional and list of audio-visual resources are in- source material. materials for teaching the visually handi- cluded. S/ECUS-AAHPER (distributed by Human capped. Medora S. Bass (available from the editor), Sciences Press and AAHPER), 1971; $3.50 S/ECUS-AFB (distributed by .-Human 1971; $2.00 Sciences Press and AFB), 1975; $4.00

SEX EDUCATION AND COUNSELING OF SEXUAL OPTIONS FOR SPECIAL GROUPS: THE MENTALLY AND PARAPLEGICS AND QUADRIPLEGICS SOUND SEX AND THE ACING HEART PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED Thomas 0. Mooney, Theodore M. Cole, and Lee D. Scheingold and Nathaniel N. Wagner AND THE ELDERLY Richard A. Chilgren Sexual activity and the consequences of Warren R. Johnson This brief and explicit book provides read- aging, with an emphasis on the effects on This book deals with problem areas in sex ily accessible information on the sexuality of the heart, are explained. Resuming sexual education and counseling of handicapped spinal cord-injured persons. An excellent activity after a coronary is advocated, with persons, and points out the danger of losing teaching and counseling tool, it emphasizes an explanation of the risks involved, and the individual behind group labels. It offers the importance of communication, sexual suggestions are offered to the spouse of the suggestions for dealing with sex-related top- awareness, sharing, and the enjoyment of heart attack victim. Myths are discussed and ics ranging from masturbation to abortion. being a sexual person. shown up for what they are. Charles C Thomas, Publisher, 1975; $12.50 Little, Brown and Company, 1975; $73.50 Human Sciences Press, 1974; $7.95

PUBLISHERS Doubleday & Company Jnternational Universities Press Science and Behavior Books, Inc. 245 Park Avenue 239 Park Avenue South Welch Road New York, NY 10017 New York, NY 10003 Palo Alto, CA 94306 American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and E. P. Dutton & Company The Johns Hopkins University The Scrimshaw Press Therapists 201 Park Avenue South Press 149 Ninth Street 5010 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. New York, NY 10003 Baltimore, MD 21218 San Francisco, CA 94103 Washington, DC 20016 Enabling Systems, Inc. J. B. Lippincott Company Simon & Schuster, Inc. American Alliance for Health, 444 Hobron Lane, Suite 311 East Washington Square 630 Fifth Avenue Physical Education, Honolulu, HI 96815 Philadelphia, PA 19105 New York, NY 10020 and Recreation 1201 16th Street, N.W. Fortress Press Little, Brown and Company Spectrum Books/Prentice-Hall, Washington, DC 20036 2900 Queen Lane 34 Beacon Street Inc. Philadelphia, PA 19129 Boston, MA 02106 Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Association Press 291 Broadway Glide Publications Macmillan, Inc. Springer Publishing Company, New York, NY 10007 330 Ellis Street 866 Third Avenue Inc. San Francisco, CA 94102 New York, NY 10022 200 Park Avenue South Basic Books, Inc. New York, NY 10003 McGraw-Hill Book Company IO East 53rd Street Group for the Advancement Stanford University Press New York, NY 10022 of Psychiatry 1211 Avenue of the Americas 419 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10020 Stanford, CA 94305 Medora S. Bass New York, NY 10016 449 Montgomery Avenue, #401 Mental Health Materials Center George F. Stickley Company, Haverford, PA 19041 419 Park Avenue South Publishers Harcourt Brace Jovanovich New York, NY 10016 210 West Washington Square Brooks/Cole Publishing 757 Third Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19106 New York, NY 10017 Company W. W. Norton & Company A Division of Wadsworth 500 Fifth Avenue Charles C Thomas, Publisher Publishing Company Harper & Row, Publishers New York, NY 10036 301-27 East Lawrence Avenue Monterey, CA 93940 IO East 53rd Street Springfield, IL 62717 New York, NY 10022 Oxford University Press * Brunner/Mazel, Publishers 200 Madison Avenue Van Nostrand Reinhold 64 University Place Hawthorne Books, Inc. New York, NY 10016 Company New York, NY 10003 260 Madison Avenue 450 West 33rd Street Prentice-Hall, Inc. New York, NY 10016 New York, NY 10001 Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Center for Marital and Sexual Studies Holt, Rinehart and Winston Q. Corporation Wadsworth Publishing Company 5199 East Pacific Coast Highway 383 Madison Avenue 49 Sheridan Avenue 10 Davis Drive Long Beach, CA 90804 New York, NY 10017 Albany, NY 12210 Belmont, CA 94002

Crown Publishers, Inc. Houghton Mifflin Random House Williams & Wilkins Company 491 Park Avenue South 1 Beacon Street 210 East 50th Street 428 East Preston Street New York, NY 10016 Boston, MA 02107 New York, NY 10022 Baltimore, MD 21202

Delacorte Press Human Sciences Press W. B. Saunders Company World Publishing Company 1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza 72 Fifth Avenue West Washington Square 110 East 59th Street New York, NY 10017 New York, NY 10011 Philadelphia, PA 19105 New York, NY 10022

12 SIECUS Report, November, 1976 AUDIO-VISUAL REVIEWS I All audio-visual materials are reviewed by Derek L. Burleson, Ed.D., Managing Editor, Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality

To Be Afraid. 16mm, sound/color, 14 won’t satisfy everyone but will serve as be the breadwinners, male ballet danc- min. Billy Budd Films, 235 East 57th St., a starting point for many hours of ing is sissified, Superfly must have his New York, NY 10022. Purchase, $200; heated discussion. baby-blue Cadillac, driving a hot rod rental, $20. Young married couples are inter- makes girls like you, play it cool always, viewed throughout the film comment- etc., etc. Only in a lengthy interview This short film examines the emotion of ing on their experiences and feelings, with a young married man who works fear as experienced by young people. It positive and negative, about marriage. on the assembly line in a factory does uses an interview technique wherein The film also examines through a case the film succeed in uncovering some of young people share their fears of fail- study some of the factors operating the subtler but more pervasive factors ure, rejection, intimacy, violence, the which create tension and eventual dis- of our culture and our economic sys- future, and others. Interspersed with solution of a marriage. tem that perpetuate the rigid role defi- the reality of these candid interviews is Because of its comprehensiveness, nitions which separate the sexes. a talented young mime who fancifully this film might well serve as an intro- This film is skillfully edited to make acts out some of these emotions. He duction or a summary for a unit on its points in a compelling fashion. By concludes by washing off his makeup, marriage today in a family life or no means, however, can it be said to be symbolically expressing that we must sociology class. a definitive statement on men’s libera- all take off our masks and be ourselves tion. Nevertheless, it is a welcome pro- in order to deal with our fears. gram resource to balance the many When used with small discussion Men’s lives. 16mm, sound/color, 43 excellent audio-visual materials avail- groups this film has the potential of min. New Day Films, P.O. Box 315, able on women’s liberation. helping young people to go beyond a Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417. Purchase, superficial understanding of them- $500; rental, $59. selves and their peers, and it should encourage much sharing and thought- Masculinity in America is the subject of ful discussion. this documentary by two student film- A superfluous sequence at the end of makers from the Midwest, Josh Havig the film presents a “morality play” on and Will Roberts. They have taken their the theme of “Keeping up with the camera and microphone into the class- Joneses.” It is totally out of context room, the playfield, the fraternity with the mood and style of the rest of house, and the factory, shooting foot- the film and can only be considered age and interviewing the young and the padding. old about what it means to be a male in America. They never really answer that question, but they do succeed in Getting Married. 16mm, sound/color, documenting in devastating ways that 16 min. BFA Educational Media, 2211 the rearing of males in America is as Michigan Ave., Santa Monica, CA awful as some feminists have been tell- 90904. Purchase, $230; rental, $18. ing us for some time. It remains to be seen whether men and boys them- This film for older adolescents in high selves are as unhappy about their con- school or college provides a realistic dition as this film would like us to think overview of the factors involved in they should be. choosing a partner for life (maybe). It Historically, this film has an impor- strikes an appropriate balance between tant place in the current social move- completely romantic notions of mar- ment which is attempting to redefine riage and outright debunking of the male-female relationships on more institution, which is currently in vogue. equitable grounds. It is probably the For a short film it covers a lot of mate- first educational use of the film media rial, including motivations for mar- to look at the other half of the problem. MULTI MEDIARESOURCECENTER riage, romantic myths about marriage, The women’s movement has come up HAS RESOURCE MATERIALS OF historical factors affecting the institu- with some solutions; all this film does tion, and contemporary factors in- is raise some issues (which is admit- ALL KINDS: l FILMS . VIDEO. fluencing lifestyles. tedly a legitimate use of the media). For BOOKS . SLIDES . AUDIOTAPES The film is even audacious enough to the most part the film makes its case plus the training in how to use them. attempt a definition of love, which with a series of cliches-men have to

SIECUS Report, November, 1976 13 Pomeroy, The Hite Report, Cont’d. from page 1

1DO YOU KNOW THAT.. . I attest to this, but either all tables should have been omitted or else they should have been presented in a usable form. On page 134 she writes, “It was found that only approximately 30 New SIECUS Topical Packets percent of the women in this study could orgasm [I like her innovative use of this word as a much-needed verb, “to orgasm”] regularly from intercourse.” Two paragraphs later Because certain subject areas within the broad field of she writes, “Although a small minority of women could or- sexuality are of particular interest or concern to large groups gasm more or less regularly from intercourse itself. . . .” of individuals, both professionals and laypersons, SIECUS Thirty percent is a small minority? What would a large has prepared five new Topical Packets, each centered around minority be? This sort of error makes me leery when she a specific subject area. Each packet contains relevant SIECUS generalizes without presenting the backup data. publications, pertinent back issues of theS/ECUS Report, and Fourth, her many quotes from respondents are one of reprints of articles drawn from the professional literature. the best parts of the book (more on this later), but without a The five new packets are: Sex Education and Moral Values statistical base one wonders how selective these quotes are (price: $15.95), Parents as Sex Educators (price: $18.95), Sex or how self-serving they are to the author’s biases. and Aging (price: $10.95), Homosexuality (price: $14.95), and Fifth, the abovementioned quotes seem too highly Sex and the Handicapped (price: $17.95). To order these edited. Although they give many different viewpoints, in style packets, or to receive a copy of SIECUS’ complete publica- they seem to have been written by the same person, and tions list, write to our distributor: Human Sciences Press, 72 hence a certain flavor is lost. (In a personal conversation with Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. the author she confirmed this observation and blamed her editor for it.) Sixth, the author sent out 100,000 questionnaires and Graduate Degrees in Sexuality Offered received 3000 back. A three-percent return leaves something to be desired. The questionnaires were distributed through The Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, Inc., a the National Organization for Women, abortion rights new professional graduate school, has announced five groups, the Village Voice, and Bride’s, Oui, and MS graduate degree programs of professional training in the field magazines, among other outlets. This is a strong women’s lib of human sexuality. The programs are designed specifically bias. However, the very poor sampling is not as serious as it for persons who intend to make human sexuality a major first seems as the study concerns itself more with individual focus of their professional careers, and permit individuals to feelings and attitudes than with overall statistics. For the work at their own speed and continue their professional same reason I do not feel that Masters and Johnson should be education without leaving their present employment. taken to task for their inadequate sampling methods. Located in San Francisco, the Institute is qualified under Seventh, the author claims that a questionnaire elicits California law to grant the following degrees: Instructor of more honest information from her respondents, and that Human Sexuality, Master of Human Sexuality, Doctor of several of them mentioned this in their replies. But how many Human Sexuality, Doctor of Arts in Human Sexuality, and of them did so, and how many said they would have prefer- Doctor of Philosophy in Human Sexuality. The faculty, drawn red a face-to-face interview? On page 210 the author cites one from a variety of disciplines, includes individuals well known example where many women misunderstood the question in the field of sexuality for their innovative programs, and the and hence gave faulty answers. One wonders how many curriculum centers around five topical areas: sex education, more such examples there might be. These misunderstand- sex research, sex counseling/therapy, sex and society, and ings can be ironed out much more readily via the interview. instructional media. Eighth, there is no index-a pity. For further information about the Institute’s degree I hope that by this time the reader is not turned off to this programs, and application forms, write to: Director of Ad- book because I am filled with praise for it and would missions, The Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexual- recommend it highly to 1) women with sexual problems, 2) ity, 1523 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. women without sexual problems, 3) men with sexual prob- lems, 4) men without sexual problems, and 5) therapists (men and women) with or without sexual problems! Family Planning Institute Scholarship The extensive use of direct quotes from the question- naires to illustrate women’s feelings on a particular topic The Family Planning Training Institute of the Planned Par- shows a very wide range of variation-knowledge that has enthood Association of Maryland has obtained a grant been largely overlooked and has been badly needed. For from the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation to permit the award example, to say that X percent of females masturbate by of full and partial tuition scholarships to health professionals clitoral stimulation is only the beginning. The many specific working in family planning or related areas to attend family descriptions of clitoral masturbation, given in great detail, planning workshops at the Institute during 1976-77. Work- allow one to know what female masturbation is really like for shops will be offered for all levels of family planning workers, these women, and do it better than any other source I know. including some specially designed for nurses and social Similarly, the many descriptions of what orgasm feels workers. For additional information, application materials, like are, again, the best and most comprehensive source in and a 1976-77 training calendar for the Institute, write to: the literature. Previous reports have stated that orgasm can Mrs. Mary L. Craig, Director, Family Planning Training Insti- range from nothing more than a sigh to an epileptoid seizure, tute, 610 North Howard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. but here one is exposed to minute descriptions of many types

14 SIECUS Report, November, 1976 of orgasms along this continuum. Almost all women will be them. Women wait for men to read their minds-and are able to find themselves in this book, and this can be a very often angry and frustrated when they don’t. Yet women are reassuring thing for them. left feeling too uncomfortable or guilty to stimulate them- One of the most important points this book makes is the selves while with men. value women put on process rather than goals. If one thinks Here Hite makes another point-that there is no word of a continuum with A representing the beginning of sexual for clitoral stimulation. Cunnilingus, although unwieldy, is at activity, such as a kiss, a hug, or even a thought of engaging least a word for oral clitoral stimulation. Masturbation, of in sex, andZ as the culmination of sex in orgasm and (for the course, in popular language, means clitoral stimulation, but male) in ejaculation, then most of the women in this book is usually done by the individual to herself, and a/one. Why is find enjoyment in the process of getting from A toZ, or from there no word for the stimulation of a woman by her lover for A to M, or even from A to B, whereas men mostly enjoy the orgasm? Many of the women in The Hite Report spoke of goal, Z. This is an important point which I often make to my feelings of shame and repulsion at the need for such stimula- patients, and I would certainly agree that more women are tion. (And many women in my practice say with shame and process-oriented and more males are goal-oriented, but I embarrassment, “I can only have orgasm from clitoral stimu- would not agree (as the author implies) that this is universal, lation or oral sex, but not during intercourse.“) for I also find the reverse, with a given male being more It is also of interest that even so-called liberated young process-oriented than his wife or lover, and this can cause girls of this generation react similarly to the idea of just as much havoc in a sexual relationship. masturbation-that most singular, private, and useful act- An all-too-brief chapter on lesbianism (20 pages) de- that is, with anxiety. In Kinsey’s study of the female in the velops the same point mentioned above-that sex with 195Os, this seminal researcher noted that “no other type of another woman lasts longer and is less goal-oriented, and sexual activity has worried so many women as masturbation.” that two members of the same sex can know better what is All the women I studied felt anxious about thoughts and pleasing to the partner. This same advantage can be said of experiences having to do with masturbation, and that anxiety male homosexuality. was there whether the female did, or did not, masturbate. Also, a brief chapter on older women (13 pages) can give Sorensen’s study in the 1970s about adolescents in America comfort to women who fear that growing old is the end of reported masturbation also in terms of anxiety. (The young their sex lives. The quotes show the many different ways that girls now call it “discomfort” rather than guilt-girls of today older women employ in dealing with their sexual lives, and feel guilty about feeling guilty!) many of their responses are both poignant and reassuring. Hite’s study highlights the taboo against women’s touch- In the book, women point out that the new sex freedom ing themselves in still another way. When asked whether for women should include the freedom to say no. Many of they would consider stimulating themselves to orgasm after a them have not yet reached this point. The new sex freedom nonorgasmic intercourse, in the presence of the man, many also gives them an equal right to say how, when, and with women reported their feelings in such negative terms as “I’ve whom. The sexual revolution has probably only just begun to never dared!” ‘I I would like to but I am afraid of embarras- develop a single standard of equality between the sexes. sing and revolting my partner,” “I’m afraid I’ll be caught I would highly recommend this book as a thought-pro- doing it, ” “I would feel self-conscious,” “I feel it’s insulting voking and insight-giving treatise on female sexuality. A, PR him”-or finally, “I would scream and yell and break things from frustration . but not masturbate.” An important issue is why women haven’t told how they experience orgasm. Why are women so reluctant to tell Schaefer, The Hite Report, Cont’d. from page 1 men-and even each other-how they can and do feel stimulated? If they know how to have orgasms (as they do ways of doing so, most usually involving their ensuring some during masturbation), why don’t they tell their partners? form of clitoral contact with appropriate parts of the man’s Women often say that men don’t listen-and perhaps they body during intercourse. don’t. But perhaps sometimes women want to keep their Second is the emphasis of this study on masturbation- sexuality a secret-perhaps some feel it is the one thing they perhaps the most important key to understanding women’s can withhold from the man to keep from being totally sexuality. Significantly, what first interested Hite to do this possessed. Or perhaps the answer is more complicated- study about women and sex is also what first interested me much more complicated. to do a study about women and sex in 1964: we both In concluding this significant section, Hite writes: questioned why it is that women can orgasm so relatively quickly in masturbation and yet are so slow-or erratic-in Why can’t we touch ourselves? Why can’t we do having orgasm during intercourse. Such a logical question, is whatever we need to make orgasm happen? AI- it not? Do women do something different with partners? though sharing sex with a man can be wonderful, Could the reason be that women have always been discour- why does “sharing” for a woman mean that the man aged from self-stimulation, and although many of them have must “give” her the orgasm? Why can’t a woman use engaged in it, and still do so, they still feel ashamed and her own hand to bring herself to orgasm? . . We guilt-ridden about it? Could it be that, just as women are not have the power to make our own orgasms, if we encouraged to make their own money, they are not encour- want. You can get control of your own stimulation aged to make their own orgasms? by moving against the other person, or by stimulat- The taboo against women’s touching themselves (or ing yourself directly in the same way as you do taking care of themselves sexually) is so powerful that it during masturbation. Although this suggestion may affects almost every facet of the way we choose to live our sound strange at first, . . . there is no reason why lives. Women wait to be touched, or wait for men to touch making your own orgasms should not be as beautiful

SIECUS Report, November, 1976 15 or as deeply shared as any other form of sex with cially. And parents, absolutely. And professionals, hopefully another person-perhaps even more so. The taboo . . . social scientists and educators, and writers and against touching yourself says essentially that you psychotherapists. Anyone involved in teaching and en- should not use your own body for your own plea- lightening for a better and more humane way to make sexual sure, that your body is not your own to enjoy. But and social relationships. For example, the main problem for . . . controlling your own stimulation symbolizes own- which women seek sex therapy is their feeling of failure at ing your own body, and is a very important step not having orgasm in intercourse. Yet, is it not a kind of toward freedom. madness to be forcing women (or for women to be forcing themselves) to orgasm in intercourse when it’s not all that Not only is the definition of sex sexist, according to Hite, easy-or natural, or normal? I’m not suggesting that those in that the man has responsibility for both his and the who want to shouldn’t, anymore than I think that those who woman’s orgasm, while she, supposedly, should wait to be really don’t want to, should! But I wonder how much of the provided for-but also to define sex as intercourse, and to say pressure on women to orgasm during intercourse comes that only orgasm during intercourse is “normal,” is a cultural from genuine lack of satisfaction-and how much comes definition of physical relations. It seems to me that inter- from reading or being told about how “it” should be! course as the only acceptable form of sexual exchange is Specifically, the insights of this book will also encourage something which has been foisted on all people-men, therapists to teach women to touch themselves, and to teach too-undoubtedly due to the pressures of religion and soci- partners to communicate more meaningfully with each ety for procreation. Men and women both seem to accept the other. Through using the questionnaire as a way of sharing idea that if you don’t have sex with intercourse, then you insights, couples could learn to tell each other how they feel. really haven’t “done it.” In fact, the common acceptance of Mainly, if we could stop worrying about whether Sally, Mary, the term sex is automatically taken to mean “intercourse”- or John was having the “right” kind of orgasm in the “right” and not any other kind of sexual physical interchange. Other kind of way, then maybe we could get down to the real issues kinds of sexual exchange may be termed necking, or petting, of communication! Finally! or soul-kissing, or oral sex, but it’s not the real thing! There are those who will quibble about many points in Obviously, only sex (intercourse!) is really sex! this remarkable book-about the methodology, or the sam- Hite suggests that sex as intercourse is a cultural form ple, or the biases, or other points. But that kind of based on a male-dominated social structure. In our society, quibbling-which goes on a great deal in research-will male orgasm during intercourse is made the highlight, cause us to deprive ourselves of a huge hunk of knowledge climax, and end of all “sexual” activity. When the women in about human beings which is absolutely free (nothing to buy, her study were asked who ends the sex act, almost invariably nothing to sell, no coupons to collect). It might appear that the answer was “he does-when he ejaculates!” The author, what researcher Hite is pointing out is radical-but in reality it in a lengthy analysis which builds carefully through many is natural! To most women-and even to some men-these chapters, explains that limiting the definition of sex only to are all such obvious facts as to be almost truisms! This is sexual intercourse is an absurdly confining concept. She indeed a phenomenal study, about a natural and obvious suggests that sex be called, instead, physical relations, which phenomenon. would have a much broader implication, and could include Women have kept silent-and men brag-but neither all the kinds of physical communicating that human beings has been telling the truth to the other. Ironically, we make can do with each other, from touching to cuddling, friendly assumptions that we know what men really feel like-but we kissing, passionate kissing, and intercourse of a// kinds! really don’t. We know what some men writers like and Everyone must read this book-because it is more than a fantasize about but that’s about it. Shere Hite has taken a book about sex. It is a way of looking at life, a way of seeing giant step for women; may the step she is presently embark- sex in a context that involves the whole of life, and a new way ing on with her questionnaire for men prove just as giant a which affects everybody-women, certainly, and men, espe- one, for then both men and women will win! A, PR

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