Sixty-one years ago today (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on the findings of Alfred Kinsey's classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. It was the first book of its kind to explore women's sexual attitudes and behaviors from a scientific perspective. While this book initially came as quite a shock to the world and was deemed "obscene" by many, we now look back on it now as one of the most important publications ever on human sexuality because it debunked so many myths and revealed that women are far more sexual than most had previously assumed. For example, Kinsey found that women were pleasuring themselves, they were having sex before marriage, and they were even engaging in same-sex behavior. It turns out that men aren't the only ones with sexual needs and desires. Who knew, right?

Because Kinsey was willing to stand up against the social norms and moral values of his time, female sexuality (and the study of sex more generally) eventually became a worthy area of scientific inquiry. In order to celebrate this important milestone in the history of sex research ("K-Day," as some in the media have dubbed it), let's look back at some of the most interesting sex studies on women that have emerged in the last few decades as a result of the shattered barriers Kinsey and his research associates left behind. Enjoy! And Happy K-Day!

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Image Source: Wikimedia Commons via Proyecto Historiador 2

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