PROBLEM
Frequently we hear that our society is currently in the midst of a sexual revolution. Indeed, sex and matters that pertain to sex seem to have become a regular staple in newspapers, television, motion pictures, book stores, etc. Few could deny that sexual behavior has become a topic of great concern to many of us. Not that it was not of concern in the past, but it does seem to have gained an air of respectability that clearly was not present in Freud's time and probably not even in Kinsey's day.
For want of a better historical anchor it may be reasonable to point to the work of Masters and Johnson('*) as signaling the beginning of our new-found (and respectable) interest in sexual behavior. We do not mean to imply that this interest in sexual behavior is unhealthy. In fact, we are of the opposite opinion, as are other workers in this area@). That is, ignorance, especially about a common facet of life, clearly leads to misunderstandings, anxiety, and myths. Hence, while students today may giggle uncomfortably when lectured to about sex, the giggling is certainly indicative of ignorance.
Thus, while college students report a varied history of sexual
8 ) ,
they also appear to be misinformed about basic matters such as contraception( 9), and they often have guilt feelings about their sexual activities(la). It appears 'This research was supported by a grant from the Wichita State University Office of Research ZA copy of t,he questionnaire used may be obtained from the authors. and Sponsored Programs # 3602-50. 'The opinions contained herein are those of the authors and are not to be construed as official *Now at L.S.U. Medical Center, Dept. of Neurology, 1542 Tulane Ave., New Orleans, La. 70112. or aa reflecting those of the Department of the Army.