sociology, and medicine databases (i.e., PsycLit, Sociological Abstracts, and Medline) across the past three decades reveals an increasing recognition of the importance of sexual health and wellbeing for women and underscores the need to develop new perspectives in such research in the Decade of Behavior. For each decade within each database, the number of women's sexual health articles has increased two-to fourfold. This may in part be attributed to increased national epidemiologic data demonstrating disproportionate sexual health concerns and subsequent outcomes for women.Review of databases reveals that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)-including HIV/AIDS-are at the forefront of current women's sexual health research and public health practice. This emphasis on STDs is not surprising given the increasing numbers of women contracting these infections each year. AIDS is currently the fourth leading cause of death among U.S. women 25-44 years of age (Center for Disease Control [CDC], Office of Women's Health, website), and HIV rates are continuing to rise, particularly among adolescent girls, who now account for the majority of youth infected with HIV (CDC, 2000). Other STDs are also at epidemic proportions among women in the U.S. (CDC Office of Women's Health, website). An estimated 1 in 10 adolescent girls and 1 in 20 women of reproductive age are infected with chlamydia. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) affects 750,000 women per year. And human papilloma virus remains a major risk factor for cervical cancer, a cancer that causes 4,500 deaths among women in the U.S. each year.High STD rates among women have resulted in increased reproductive health concerns, as well. The CDC Office of Women's Health (website) estimates that as much as 30% of infertility in women may be related to preventable complications of past STDs. Ectopic pregnancy, most often a complication from PID or other STDs, has increased about six-fold over the past 2 decades. Further, over 10% of all hospitalizations of women of reproductive age are from complications from reproductive tract disorders such as fibroid tumors, which affect up to 40% of women and endometriosis which affects over five million women every year. Over 50% of hysterectomies in the U.S. are performed due to fibroids and endometriosis.Women's sexual health is directly affected by women's low status in society. This low status, and subsequent lack of sexual autonomy, not only increases risk for sexual health problems, it also decreases ability to obtain treatment and support when a sexual health concern arises. This has clearly been demonstrated in the HIV epidemic within the U.S. Earlier in the epidemic, women were simply ignored by public health research and practice. Once they could no longer be ignored, they were blamed and viewed as vectors. Current seroprevalence rates among men reveal that women are not significant vectors. In contrast, rates among women indicate that infection from men is the primary mechanism by which women are contracting HIV, and male-controll...