Anthropology. Psychology. Biology. Sociology. Medicine. Sexologists draw from a wide range of disciplines in their scientific study of human sexuality and their work can range from research and academia to opening an office and providing therapy. This is a short list of modern sexologists we respect and appreciate, but we know there are more out there. If you have a favorite, please tell us in the comments and we’ll add them to our Part 2.

1. Dr. Laura Berman

Relationship homework ? That’s an assignment you might enjoy. Dr. Laura Berman is very media savvy and she makes sex extremely approachable. See for yourself in this Orgasm 411 article or one on the 5 Habits of Happy Sex Lives . We like her sincerity and commitment to helping couples get closer and get it on.

2. Dr. Sadie Allison

Tickle His Pickle. Ride ‘Em Cowgirl. Toygasms. All books written by Dr. Sadie Allison. Her style of bedroom wisdom is wickedly clever and her sex tips will make you want to race to the bedroom. We like the motto of her company, Tickle Kitty : More powerful orgasms. Sounds good to us. Meow!

3. Mary Roach

Have you read Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex ? Or seen her TED talk on orgasms ? Mary Roach may not have studied science—she’s actually an award-winning writer, not a sexologist—but she sure makes sexology a fascinating and funny subject. Even The New York Times thinks so (and they compare her to another favorite of ours, Dr. Ruth ).

4. Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy

Okay. Easton and Hardy aren’t technically sexologists either, but they are the authors of The Ethical Slut: A Guide To Infinite Possibilities and their work is groundbreaking. Don’t be put off by the title. They define slut as “a person of any gender who has the courage to lead life according to the radical proposition that sex is nice and pleasure is good for you.” The book is about “consensual non-monogamy as a lifestyle” and explains how to do that in an ethical way (as opposed to cheating). Sound radical? Check out this Daily Beast interview with Dossie Easton and see what you think.

5. Ester Perel

Ester is a practicing psychotherapist and expert in erotic intelligence. If you want to know the secret to desire in a long-term relationship or if a lifetime of good sex is even possible, she’s your go-to source. With topics like How to Put a Healthy Dose of Space and Mystery Into Your Relationship and Can Men and Women Really Just Be Friends , you can easily get sucked into her blog.

There’s no denying that human sexuality is a rich, complex, diverse, and intriguing subject and we admire people who study it and share what they learn to help people understand their own desires and choices.

We also admire people who commit to using birth control until they’re ready for a kid. If you want to know more about any method, that’s our area of expertise , so have at it.

XOXO,
Bedsider

P.S. Emergency contraception is there for you in case of an emergency—obvs—and if you ever need it, we can help you find it .