A sex researcher is someone who is engaged in the systematic study of sexuality. Sex researchers study human sexuality and the sexuality of non-human animals. Sex research covers all aspects of sexuality including sexual identity, orientation, and behaviors. Sex researchers usually have at least a masters degree and are usually affiliated with a college or university and generally publish their findings in academic journals.
Sex research is both multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary. Sex researchers come from the physical and social sciences, and from almost every academic discipline. A particular sex research project may involve sex researchers from different fields. For example, sex research that is looking at ways to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS may involve bio-medical sex researchers as well as a sociologist sex researcher and a psychologist sex researcher, each researcher looking at the research from a slightly different angle. Despite this sex research published in journals and presented at conferences is often contained within disciplines (so the anthropologists don't usually present to the psychologists, etc...)
Sex researchers are often under funded and can be isolated from their peers because of their chosen subject matter. Sex researchers, particularly in the United States, may be attacked publicly for choosing to study sexuality and many have been threatened with losing their jobs or funding for their work.
There are a few graduate training programs in sex research, but many researchers get their training more generally in the discipline of their choice, and then focus on sex research after their initial training as research professionals.
