Women's Sexual Experience: Explorations of the Dark Continent

The editor of this volume, Martha Kirkpatrick, has compiled 15 articles covering widely different aspects of the sexual life of women in present-day America. Contributors range from authorities in medical research on human sexuality, through psychologists and sociologists, to laymen representing groups that concern themselves with matters such as the "swinging" life-style or the fate of teenaged prostitutes. The quality of the articles is similarly varied. In the interest of stimulating controversy, the editor has included some articles that contain frank misinformation, such as a journalist's discussion of the prophylaxis of venereal disease. However, the editorial comments that follow each article honestly point out the inadequacies and inaccuracies presented, providing a well-balanced perspective in most areas. Large-scale studies reporting systematically collected, well-validated data are relatively lacking, reflecting the present state of research on female sexuality, which is only beginning to emerge as a field of study distinct from the study