Sexuality and Sexual Dysfunctions - Volume II

This Research Topic is the second volume of the collection ‘Sexuality and Sexual Dysfunctions’, please find the first volume here.

This collection aims to build on the first edition’s research, exploring the scientific advancement and clinical psychology approaches in research, focused around sexuality, sexual health, sexual functioning, sexual dysfunctions, sexual pleasure (including sexual satisfaction, sexual thoughts, fantasies), sexually transmitted infections/diseases, sexual violence, sexual attitudes.

Sexuality is a vital aspect of human life, encompassing sex, gender roles, identity, sexual orientation, and elements like eroticism, pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction. Sexual health, as defined by the World Health Organization, extends beyond the absence of diseases or dysfunctions to include the potential for pleasurable, safe sexual experiences devoid of coercion, discrimination, and violence. This concept aligns with the biopsychosocial model, which views health as a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality.

This Research Topic seeks to develop a comprehensive understanding of sexuality and sexual dysfunctions in light of the latest biopsychosocial frameworks, lived experiences, and clinical innovations, with the dual aim of advancing scientific knowledge and supporting evidence-based practice globally. The goal is to enhance clinical understanding of sexual functioning, pleasure, and dysfunctions across diverse populations; address under-researched aspects of sexual health, including gender, orientation, and cultural context; and integrate clinical, psychosocial, and public health perspectives for a rounded approach to sexual wellness.

Contributions may include, but are not limited to:
• Sexual functioning and dysfunction to advance understanding and therapeutic approaches of sexual disorders across different populations and lifespans.
• Theoretical and empirical explorations of what constitutes sexual pleasure, satisfaction, desire, and their psychological and relational correlates.
• Innovations in clinical assessment, therapy, sexual counseling psychology, and psychological interventions.
• How thoughts, fantasies, and sexual attitudes shape sexual behavior and health; cross-cultural and developmental perspectives.
• Epidemiology, prevention, stigma, and lived experience of STIs/STDs, and the interface with sexual identity, relationships, and psychological well-being.
• Research on sexual violence and safety, looking at prevalence, risk factors, prevention/intervention, and recovery.
• The impact of technology, social media, online dating, and virtual sexual experiences on sexual health and dysfunction.
• How cultural and societal differences shape sexuality, stigma, pleasure, and help-seeking behavior.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Registered Report
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Sexuality, Sexual Health, Sexual Functioning, Sexual Dysfunction, Sexual Pleasure, ITS, Sexual Violence, Psychological Approaches

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.