Abstract

This paper explores the professional field of sexology in Chile and also shows how sexologists see and define themselves. A qualitative study was conducted and 11 professionals were interviewed. Main findings indicate that sexology can be defined as a clinical field disciplinarily associated with medicine (urology, gynecology, and to a lesser extent, psychiatry) and psychology (clinical psychology). Sexology appears as private professional practice, though not in public health, and as a professional field, rather than a research area. In addition, there is a two-fold development concerning its conceptual, methodological, and technological approach: sexual medicine and sexual therapy. Finally, interviewees do not recognize themselves as sexologists and there is no evidence of the use of this term in the past.