Health For Sex

Dr. Sandra Leiblum

01 Feb 2010

1 Feb, 2010 Sexuality

Sex therapist and researcher Dr. Sandra Leiblum passed away on Thursday. She was a well-known psychologist and sex researcher whose career spanned almost forty years. Leiblum was involved in over 130 clinical and research studies, and the editor or co-editor of ten books, including the now classic Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy.

I never had the opportunity to meet or hear her speak, but colleagues and friends describe her as both an important contributor to the field of sexology and a warm and generous teacher, mentor and friend.

Most recently Leiblum coined the term persistent genital arousal syndrome and co-authored some of the first papers identifying the experience some women have of arousal that doesn’t dissipate and appears in the absence of sexual stimulation.

It’s since become labeled persistent genital arousal disorder, and while there’s still much to understand about it, it sounds like the kind of person Dr. Leiblum was to devote time and energy to an issue that was well known but not often spoken of in the clinical literature.