ABSTRACT
Sexual behavior is essential for the survival of the human species, not just because it leads to reproduction but also because it facilitates social bonding and attachment. Consequently, one would expect that millions of years of evolution produced a very reliable human reproductive system with built-in redundancies, resulting in a robust sex drive, unfailing physiological mechanisms, and simple, consistent patterns of reproductive behavior and responsiveness. In reality, however, humans exhibit an
enormous variety of sexual behaviors and preferences (Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948; Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, & Gebhardt, 1953), while population studies reveal a surprisingly high prevalence of sexual problems and dysfunctions (Lauman, Paik, & Rosen, 1999). Clearly, human sexuality appears to be characterized by diversity and fragility rather than by evolutionary conformity and sturdiness.
