These words form the basis for a developing standardized language for communication within the emerging interdisciplinary science of sexology. The empirically based (describing what is) science of sexology is different from the less than objective perspective of sexosophy (hoping to find what should be the case based on a philosophical or religious position). See definitions in the glossary below.
Rationale: The most popular sites on the Internet, and the busiest BBSs, are those which deal with aspects of sex, sexuality, gender, or reproduction. These four terms include all aspects of attraction, dating and match-making services, romance, and eroticism, at one end of the social acceptability spectrum, all the way to the extremes of some of the postings on the alt.sex usenet and the downloadable sexually explicit graphics. What is missing in all of this Internet traffic has been a standard language of communication about phenomena in sexuality, gender, and reproduction that uses terms that are precise, unambiguous, and judgment free. For example, there is the story of a young woman being examined by a physician who found her to be pregnant. She asked her patient “When I asked you earlier if you were ‘sexually active’ you said ‘No.’ But I find that you are pregnant. How can this be?” The patient answered “But Doctor, it’s true. I’m not active. I just lie there.”
Whether this story is true or not, sexist or not, is beside the point. The point is that we all use words and terms to describe what for most of us is a difficulty topic of conversation. A brief browsing of the “sex” sites on the Internet reveals that the same words or terms can be used with a wide range of meanings and nuances. Nuance is great for romantic poetry but not for a science of sex, gender and reproduction.
