The Medicalization of Male Sexual Dysfunctions: An Analysis of Sex Therapy Journals

This study explored paradigm change in sex therapy for male sexual dysfunctions. An analysis of the professional journal literature was used to examine the theories, causes, and treatments utilized to explain and treat erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation between 1967 and 1998. The journals analyzed include the Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, the Journal of Sex Research, and Archives of Sexual Behavior. Sex therapy may be characterized as a multiple paradigm science; the medical and psychological models are reviewed. The medical model includes various approaches such as hormone therapy, herbs, prescription medication, surgery, and vacuum therapy. While the behavioral model is the dominant psychological sex therapy paradigm, the results indicate that the medical model has emerged as the dominant paradigm for the treatment of male sexual dysfunctions. These findings suggest several possibilities for sex therapy: a decline of practitioners without medical training, the development of new roles, and medical and non-medical practitioners working together. © Taylor & Francis