Excerpt: 'Secrets of the Sexually Satisfied Woman'

April 12, 2005 — -- In "Secrets of the Sexually Satisfied Woman," Drs. Laura and Jennifer Berman topple common misconceptions and reshape conventional wisdom about women's sexuality and pleasure based on their forthcoming National Women's Sexual Satisfaction Survey.

The Berman sisters are among the nation's leading experts on women's sexual health, and offer medical research in easy-to-understand terms.

Dr. Laura Berman is a clinical assistant professor of OB/GYN and psychiatry at the Feinberg School of Medicine of Northwestern University and is the founder and director of the Berman Center in Chicago, which specializes in sexual medicine and menopause management.

Dr. Jennifer Berman is assistant professor of urology and director of the Female Sexual Medicine Center at the UCLA Medical Center. Her medical practice focuses on individually tailored management of female gynecologic, urologic, hormonal and sexual function problems.

You can read an excerpt from "The Sexually Satisfied Woman" below.

One of the greatest mysteries of life is what constitutes a woman's sexual satisfaction. This book is about solving that mystery. It's about making sexual Nirvana an achievable goal, and unlocking the secrets to extraordinary lovemaking.

It's safe to say that many of us strive to reach the pinnacle of sexual bliss. It's why we read the magazine articles, buy the books, and watch television with such a fervent interest when there is something in the news about ecstasy in the bedroom. Sex is a central part of who we are -- it's a part of the fabric of our relationships and our society. Most women agree that sex is much more than our genitals, and at the same time, it is not just a state of mind.

There is a complex relationship between life circumstances, health factors, and our sexuality, often barely understood even by experts in the field. We are sisters and doctors -- Laura a therapist, Jennifer a physician. Our careers are focused on helping women find sexual pleasure. For years, women have been talking to us about their sensual aspirations, regardless of their age, marital status, race, and religion. We have built two of the premier centers for research and treatment of female sexuality: Laura is clinical assistant professor of OB/GYN and psychiatry at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago and directs the Berman Center there, and Jennifer is assistant professor of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles and directs the Female Sexual Medical Center there. The combination of our backgrounds led us to take a multifaceted, mind-body approach to working with the total woman.