Introduction: Sex, Science, and Censorship

This is our introduction to a January 2024 special issue of the Journal of the History of Sexuality that we guest edited, titled "Sex, Science, and Censorship." The introduction explores the complex and often contradictory relationship between sexual science and censorship throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and argues that the history of censorship is deeply intertwined with the history of sexual science. We outline the key themes of the special issue, including the role of censorship in shaping the development of sexual science, the strategies used by sexologists to navigate censorship, and the impact of censorship on the circulation of sexual knowledge in various national and cultural contexts. We also highlight the importance of considering both local and global perspectives when examining the relationship between sexual science and censorship, as well as the need to recognize the complexities of sexual science's ambiguous status as a "science." The end of our introduction provides a brief overview of the articles included in the special issue.