NEW HOT PAPERS

Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

This paper first acknowledges and then discusses an underlying controversy that has been brewing for some time—even before the introduction of sildenafil citrate (Viagra®)—between the fields of sex therapy and sexual medicine. As an author and researcher with strong ties to and history within both fields (over 25 years), I frequently sense the tension between these very different models of treatment.

Would you summarize the significance of your paper in layman’s terms? Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or synthesis of knowledge?

This review/synthesis attempts to take a balanced perspective toward the issue, admonishing the sex therapy camp to reclaim its critical role in the treatment of sexual problems while prodding the sexual medicine camp to learn lessons from the past. The supportive and critical responses of other authors to this piece are, in my view, a testimonial to how deep the issues run.

Do you foresee any social or political implications for your research?

Research and commentary on issues about sexuality often draw interest—people are naturally curious and usually quite concerned about their sexual health—and the issues frequently have strong social and political implications. At the one level, sexuality is a very private and moral issue for most people, generating strong emotional responses and attitudes. But at another level, this article raises the issue of who will set the agenda for future research on sexuality and who will pay for it.

David L. Rowland, Ph.D., Dean
Graduate and Continuing Education
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso IN, USA