Sex therapy then and now: The researchers who revolutionised how we think about sex
Virginia Johnson and William Masters changed what science knew about sex. Their pioneering research transformed our understanding of sexual response forever.
As a psychosexual therapist, I often talk to my clients about their ground-breaking work and in this blog, we’ll look at how influential it remains, what's changed, and how psychosexual therapy works today.
The sex research revolution
In 1960s America, Masters and Johnson led the way in sex research, co-authoring many books. The first, and most famous, “Human Sexual Response” (1966) was a landmark publication. It was the end result of 11 years of scientific research about sex, based on observing and collecting scientific data from volunteers engaged in intercourse or masturbation.
It was the first-time laboratory observation techniques had been used to research sex and produced shock waves across the USA.
Masters and Johnson - the sexual research team
Masters (a gynaecological doctor) studied many topics over his professional career: prior to Johnson joining his team as his research assistant in 1957, his primary focus was infertility.
When he turned his attention to sex, the first participants in his studies were sex workers, recruited with the help of the local Catholic Church and the vice squad. One of his methods was to go to a brothel and look through a peephole or a two-way mirror that had been designed for voyeurs.
Masters learned that sex workers were experts in stimulating their clients erotically and triggering their orgasms in as short a time as possible. They would sometimes fake orgasm to encourage their customers to hurry up and finish. At the time, this was a revelation.
When Johnson joined the research team, the aim was to recruit a broader cross section of their local community to become paid volunteers in their study.
The key stats:
694 people between 18-89 took part in the research
382 women and 312 men, including 276 married couples
Over 10,000 orgasms were observed
How was sex studied in the lab?
Participants were connected to heart monitors and EEG machines, measuring electrical activity in the brain. There was also a device that was used to internally observe sexual response in women, which was like a large, clear, plastic tampon attached to a camera to record physiological changes. As much detail about sexual responses as possible was measured and documented.
The research in “Human Sexual Response” provided hard evidence that women can have multiple orgasms and sexual libido can continue into old age. Detailing precisely how the body responds to sexual stimulation, it offered a model around the four stages of sexual response: excitement, plateau, orgasm and resolution.
The relationship between Bill and Virginia changed between 1957 and 1971: from doctor and research assistant, to co-authors and then lovers. In 1971, Masters and Johnson married and continued working together, but in 1992, they divorced: citing conflict in their ideas about retirement as the reason for their separation.
The life and work of this interesting and controversial couple has since been fictionalised in a TV period drama series, Masters of Sex (2013). While the show captures the drama of their lives, their real legacy lies in how they moved sex out of the shadows and into the realm of science.
How does their research fit into psychosexual therapy now?
Although unorthodox, their research into sexual arousal is still relevant today and they were the first to scientifically study the female orgasm in detail. Sex researchers now use a mix of surveys, psychological studies, and even neuroscience to understand sex and sexual experiences.
Research into sexual function has expanded to include psychological, relational, social, and cultural influences rather than focusing only on physiological sexual response. Nowadays psychosexual therapy (or sex therapy) integrates medical understanding with psychological insights, and recognises that sexual difficulties are shaped by the interaction of mind, body, relationship dynamics, and context. Within this, a sex therapist will pay close attention to intimacy - how we feel, how we communicate, and how we connect.
Sex therapy through talk
It is important to know that if you seek help for sexual challenges all the work in the therapy room is done through talk. Whatever you're facing, either individually or as a couple, psychosexual therapists are trained to work with you to understand what's happening and find practical ways to help you reconnect with pleasure and intimacy.
At Relationship Works, we offer confidential, specialist psychosexual therapy online and in Bristol or Bath. Whether you are looking to resolve a specific physical concern or would like to discover ways to reconnect, we provide a safe space to talk it through. If you are interested, you can find out more about sex therapy here.