Prior to 1970 the treatment of sexual dysfunctions and problems was generally the province of psychiatry.
Treatment usually took a long time and successful reversal of the sexual distress was very uncertain. The traditional psychiatric model of individual treatment was almost always used.
However, the sociological study of kinsey´s sexual behavior in America and Masters and Johnson´s pioneering investigation into the anatomy and physiology of human sexual response have let to the development of new techniques specifically labeled sex therapy. In 1970, Masters and Johnson introduced creative sex therapy which they had developed and experienced from 1959 among with its high success rate for treatment. Late on, sex thrapy has improved in many ways on its base, and now it is gaining attention as the treatment of choice for psychosexual dysfunctions. In general, where the dysfunction occurs alone, an unmodified sex therapy approach (Direct sex therapy) seems to be the treatment of choice. For patients with accompanying personality disorders or physical conditions, it is but one of many techniques to be considered.
Sex therapy differs from other forms of treatment for sexual dysfunctions in two respects: first, its goal are essentially limited to the relief of the patient´s sexual symtom and second, it departs from traditional techniques by employing a combination of prescribed sexual experiences and psychotherapy. The general treatment formats of Masters and Johnson´s direct sex therapy remaines as the prototype of various modern sex therapies in present but the specific formats employed by the various sex therapy clinice differ considerably.
Masters and Johnson are the pioneers who applied the structured sexual tasks in the treatment of sexual dysfunctions, which is an important factor in therapeutic process. They developed a highly effective regimen of sexual experiences, which the couples carries out daily for a two-week period. That is the famous "sensate focus" exercise, which is to shift the couple´s objective away from the achievement of a response to the giving and receiving of pleasure. Also they prescribed various sexual tasks which are designed to relieve specific problems. These include the "squeeze method", which is used to treat premature ejaculation and also to restore the impotent patient´s confidence that his lost erection will return, and female-controlled non-demand pelvic thrusting, which is employed in the treatment of anorgamia women.
In addition, various coital positions and techniques for genital stimulation are prescribed to relieve specific problems and obstacles to adequate sexual functioning. Later on, the new sexual tasks have been introduced by sex therapists and have emphasised its effectiveness.
In Korea there is no demonstrating evidence of establishment of sex therapy, but the interest and reports about sex therapy has increased from 1980. In 1986 March, special sex clinic was opened in Yonsei University, College of Medicine, and so systematic clinical research and active sex therapy is expected in psychosexual dysfunction patients.
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