Historical, Scientific, Clinical and Feminist Criticisms of “The Human Sexual Response Cycle” Model

This chapter argues that the human sexual response cycle (HSRC) model of sexuality is flawed from scientific, clinical, and feminist points of view. The sexuality that is measured is taken to be the definition of sexuality itself. The HSRC model has had a profound impact on clinical sexology through its role as the centerpiece of contemporary diagnostic nomenclature. The chapter examines how sexual problems are linked to mental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and how the HSRC was used in the sexuality section. One deleterious clinical consequence of the utilization of the HSRC model as the sexual norm has been increased focus on segmented psychophysiological functioning. The HSRC assumes that men and women have and want the same kind of sexuality since physiological research suggests that in some ways, and under selected test conditions, we are built the same.