Celebrating the History of Women’s Sexuality Research

Who was Alfred Kinsey?

Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956) began his academic career as an entomologist at Indiana University, where he specialized in studying gall wasps. However, today, he is best known for pioneering research on human sexuality, notably through the Kinsey Reports (Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, 1948; Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, 1953) and the Kinsey scale, which reframed sexual orientation as a continuum rather than a simple binary. His work, especially on women’s sexual behavior, fundamentally advanced the scientific study of human sexuality and challenged prevailing societal taboos. He founded the Kinsey Institute in 1947 and it still operates today as a major hub for sex research, focusing on topics such as sexual violence prevention, condom use, relationships, as well as sex and aging.

Sexual Behavior in the Human Female

Over 70 years ago, on August 20, 1953, the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey’s groundbreaking book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. This book was the first of its kind to explore women’s sexual attitudes and behaviors from a scientific standpoint. August 20th has been nicknamed “K‑Day” by some, in recognition of the significance of this work.

Kinsey’s book was labeled by many as immoral, anti-religious, and obscene due to the prevailing views on sex at the time. Although there are some valid critiques of his research (for example, his participants were volunteers and weren’t necessarily representative of the overall population), we look back on Kinsey’s work as being among the most important publications on human sexuality. Kinsey’s research was trailblazing in many ways, but especially because it debunked many myths and misconceptions surrounding women’s sexuality.

Kinsey found that the women he surveyed were more sexual than most people at the time assumed. For example, many of them were masturbating, having sex outside of marriage, and engaging in same-sex behaviors. Kinsey opened the door for many more research questions about women’s sexuality, and validated women’s sexual desires and experiences by sharing his findings from interviewing nearly 6000 women.

Other Changemakers in Sex Research 

To celebrate this important milestone in the history of women’s sex research, we’re spotlighting some of the many women in the field who have made their own unique contributions to the study of female sexuality. Last year, we published our “Sexology Changemakers” series to highlight some of the under-recognized contributions of women to sex science. These include:

• Evelyn Hooker
• Kimberlé Crenshaw
• June Dobbs Butts
• Virginia Johnson
• Shere Hite

Female Sexuality Today

Thanks to Kinsey’s willingness to publish his work even in the face of major controversy and decades of research that followed, female sexuality—and the study of sex more broadly—eventually came to be seen as a worthwhile area of scientific inquiry. While its value and importance to society are increasingly recognized, sex research in general continues to be controversial to this day.

To learn more about the Kinsey Institute, check out our podcast episode with Dr. Justin Garcia, the Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute, which explores the past, present, and future of the Institute. Also, visit the Kinsey Institute website to find out how you can show your support.

If you have a sex question of your own, record a voicemail at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology to have it answered on the blog or the podcast. 

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Title graphic made with Canva; image credits Arthur Siegel via Getty Images