The State of Sex Research in MFT and Family Studies Literature: A Seventeen-Year Content Analysis.

The ability to conceptualize and treat sexual problems has been widely accepted as a crucial skill to master the MFT training. However, clients' sexual relationships are often ignored by clinicians because of a lack of experience or training, or personal discomfort. In this content analysis, we review sex and sex therapy research within MFT and family studies journals since the turn of the century. Of the 13,919 articles published within the 15 journals, 137 focused on sexuality or sex therapy. The articles were divided into five themes: sexual and relational health, sexual diversity, treatment and contributors of sexual dysfunction, sex therapy practices, and sexual education and development. Implications for clinical practices, sex therapy integration, and future research are discussed.