ABSTRACT
Traditional beliefs about women inªuence mental health and medical treatments, as well as social policy and legal decisions. Until recent times, most theories about women’s bodies and sexuality have been developed by men, and much of our knowledge about human illness and treatments has been extrapolated from studies on men. Fortunately, within the past twenty years, women’s health has Šnally been viewed as intrinsically worthy of serious research. While we are moving in a positive direction of focusing medical and social research on the unique needs of both genders, the prevailing ambivalence about women’s sexuality seems to remain constant. It is important that we look beyond the conventional stereotypes of women and understand women’s sexuality, health, social, and political needs in a broader context.
