Sexual Attitudes: Myths Realities

In Sexual Attitudes: Myths and Realities, internationally acclaimed sexologists Vern L. Bullough and Bonnie Bullough take readers on a guided tour through the many assumptions and misconceptions we harbor about our own sexuality, as they bring us up to date on a variety of sexual and related issues. How did masturbation evolve from being regarded as a cause of insanity to being a normal part of sexual development? When did the medical profession stop viewing homosexuality as a sin or sickness, and accept it as a valid form of sexual expression? How did abortion move from being an illegal act, performed in secrecy under dangerous conditions, to a constitutionally protected right? The authors highlight the ways in which social, moral, and religious attitudes have dramatically changed from being founded on myths to relying on more science-based realities.The Bulloughs argue that accepting new knowledge need not undermine morality even though it challenges entrenched, often unfounded, assumptions about our sexual behavior. They contend that our traditional attitudes about sex must be continuously rethought and updated rather than shrouded in mystery and myth. Moral values can still be maintained even while acknowledging the existence of vastly more accurate information about the physiology of sex and the many ways in which we choose to express our sexuality.