The editors of this dictionary have gathered terms and theories from glossaries in college textbooks on human sexuality, consulted medical dictionaries, and utilized concepts developed by psychologist John Money. The terms defined span the disciplines of sociology, biology, medicine, and the humanities. To be found among the more than 6000 entries are theories and observations about sex from Greek philosophers, Freud, and Masters and Johnson. Numerous entries include bibliographic information. Appendixes list philias and paraphilias; phobias and sexual anxieties; biographical sketches; and U.S. Supreme Court decisions relating to sexual behavior. Library Journal

The field of sexuality spans a wide range of academic disciplines in the biological sciences, social sciences, and humanities, many of which do not share a common vocabulary. The diversity of expertise combined with a recent explosion of sexological research and knowledge has created confusion and inaccuracy in the cross-disciplinary use of language. By bringing together clear, succinct explanations of the terms and concepts used in each discipline, the authors of this descriptive dictionary have created a standard basis for communication throughout the field.

This work provides more than six thousand entries. It defines the terms and theories that are essential to an understanding of the field and documents important contributions to sexology--ranging from the observations of Greek philosophers to findings of sexual researchers from Kraftt-Ebing and Margaret Mead to Masters and Johnson. A substantial number of entries reflect the work of Dr. John Money, who significantly enriched the language of sexology and was responsible for such pivotal concepts as gender role and gender identity. Bibliographical information in provided for each topic and additional information is offered in the appendix. Researchers, professionals, and students working on any aspect of sex or sexuality will find this dictionary comprehensive and easy to use.