Stephen Barrett Levine (born 1942) is an American psychiatrist known for his work in

human sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

, particularly

sexual dysfunction Sexual dysfunction is difficulty experienced by an individual or partners during any stage of normal sexual activity, including physical pleasure, desire, preference, arousal, or orgasm. The World Health Organization defines sexual dysfunction a ...

and

transsexualism Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including sex reassignmen ...

Education and career

Levine earned his

M.D. Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

from

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Case Western Reserve School of Medicine (CWRU SOM, CaseMed) is the medical school of Case Western Reserve University, a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It is the largest biomedical research center in Ohio. History On November ...

in 1967 and serves as a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry there. His clinical practice began in the mid-1970s as the

University Hospitals of Cleveland University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UH Cleveland Medical Center) is a large not-for-profit academic medical complex in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center is the main affiliate hospital of Cas ...

Sexual Dysfunction Clinic. In 1993 the Clinic separated from University Hospitals, and is presently called The Center for Marital and Sexual Health in

Beachwood, Ohio Beachwood is a city in eastern Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and a suburb of Cleveland. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 14,040. History The land that eventually became Beachwood was originally part of the Connecticut W ...

. His early work focused on

premature ejaculation Premature ejaculation (PE) occurs when a man expels semen (and most likely experiences orgasm) soon after beginning sexual activity, and with minimal penile stimulation. It has also been called ''early ejaculation'', ''rapid ejaculation'', ''r ...

and erectile dysfunction, and he has written on a number of treatment options, including vacuum pumps,Turner LA, Althof SE, Levine SB, et al. (1991). External Vacuum Devices in the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction: A One-Year Study of Sexual and … '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' injections into the corpus cavernosum of the penis,Althof SE, Turner LA, Levine SB, Risen C, Kursh ED (1987). Intracavernosal injection in the treatment of impotence: A prospective study of sexual... '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' and

Viagra Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra, among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is unclear if it is effective for treating sexual dysfunction in women. It is taken by ...

.Pallas J, Levine SB, Althof SE, Risen CB (2000). A Study Using Viagra in a Mental Health Practice. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' The most potent

aphrodisiac An aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire, sexual attraction, sexual pleasure, or sexual behavior. Substances range from a variety of plants, spices, foods, and synthetic chemicals. Natural aphrodisiacs like cannabis or cocai ...

s, according to Levine, are psychological

intimacy An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...

Levine SB (1991). Psychological intimacy. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' and

voyeurism Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of watching other people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions of a private nature. The term comes from the French ''voir'' which means "to see". ...

: "looking at pictures or movies of people engaged in genital or romantic interplay."Brody JE (August 4, 1993)
Personal health
''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' Levine has written on

sex offender A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and legal jurisdiction. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crim ...

s, including professionals who offend.Levine SB, Risen CB, Althof SE (1994). Professionals who sexually offend: Evaluation procedure; and preliminary findings. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' He cites

Kurt Freund Kurt Freund (17 January 1914 – 23 October 1996) was a Czech-Canadian physician and sexologist best known for developing the penile plethysmograph (a measurement of sexual arousal in males), research studies in pedophilia, and for the "courts ...

as an important influence because Freund wanted to define the subtypes of

child molesters Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...

to help devise a means of prevention.Freeman, Karen (October 27, 1996)
Kurt Freund Dies at 82; Studied Deviant Sexual Arousal
''

'' Levine has written about

adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...

and

infidelity Infidelity (synonyms include cheating, straying, adultery, being unfaithful, two-timing, or having an affair) is a violation of a couple's emotional and/or sexual exclusivity that commonly results in feelings of anger, sexual jealousy, and ri ...

and believes

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

terms like "cheating" and "infidelity" prevent addressing the issue in realistic terms.Alexander, Brian (April 17, 2007)
To stay or stray? Crimes of opportunity

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...

He was section co-editor with R. Taylor Segraves for the section on sexual and

gender identity disorder Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identitytheir personal sense of their own genderand their sex assigned at birth. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used unti ...

s in ''Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders'' by

Glen Gabbard Glen Owens Gabbard (born 1949) is an American psychiatrist known for authoring professional teaching texts for the field. He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and is also training and supervising ...

. Notable contributors included Martin Kafka (

paraphilia Paraphilia (previously known as sexual perversion and sexual deviation) is the experience of intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals. It has also been defined as sexual interest in anything ot ...

s) and

Kenneth Zucker Kenneth J. Zucker (; born 1950) is an American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist. He was named editor-in-chief of ''Archives of Sexual Behavior'' in 2001. He was psychologist-in-chief at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH ...

(

gender identity disorder in children Gender dysphoria in children (GD), also known as gender incongruence of childhood, is a formal diagnosis for children who experience significant discontent ( gender dysphoria) due to a mismatch between their assigned sex and gender identity. T ...

and adolescents).Segraves RT, Levine SB (section editors) Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. In Gabbard GO, ed. (2001). ''Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders.'' Although much of his work is written for other clinicians, Levine has written books for a lay audience, including ''Solving Common Sexual Problems'' (1997) and ''Sexuality in Mid-Life'' (2004). He is noted for his work in clinical management of

. Levine was Chair of the fifth edition of the

Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (HBIGDA), is a professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender identity and ...

Standards of Care in 1998.Levine SB, Brown G, Coleman E, Cohen-Kettenis P Hage JJ, Van Maasdam J, Petersen M, Pfaefflin F, Schaefer LC (1999). The Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders. ''Journal of Psychology & Human Sexuality'' Levine also served on the

American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 37,000 members are involv ...

DSM-IV The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM; latest edition: DSM-5-TR, published in March 2022) is a publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a common langu ...

Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. Bradley SJ, Blanchard R, Coates SW, Green R, Levine SB, Meyer-Bahlburg HFL, Pauly IB, Zucker KJ (1991). Interim report of the DSM-IV Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. ''

Archives of Sexual Behavior The ''Archives of Sexual Behavior'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal in sexology. It is the official publication of the International Academy of Sex Research. History The journal was established in 1971 by Richard Green, who served as its e ...

'' Volume 20, Number 4 / August, 1991

Work on transsexualism

Levine has expressed skepticism towards gender transitioning for children, adolescents, and young adults. Levine also criticized a study by psychiatrist Jack Turban finding that

gender dysphoria in children Gender dysphoria in children (GD), also known as gender incongruence of childhood, is a formal diagnosis for children who experience significant discontent (gender dysphoria) due to a mismatch between their assigned sex and gender identity. The ...

was not caused by

social contagion Social contagion involves behaviour, emotions, or conditions spreading spontaneously through a group or network. The phenomenon has been discussed by social scientists since the late 19th century, although much work on the subject was based on un ...

, saying that the study only covers two years and uses survey data instead of clinic referral data. Furthermore, Levine alleged Turban had conflicts of interest and accused him of being "an advocate rather than a scientist." Levine has testified in many court cases relating to transgender rights, both in the United States and abroad, as an expert witness for states attempting to restrict access to gender-affirming care, like Arkansas. Levine has strongly advocated against allowing social transition for transgender youth, describing it as setting them on a 'conveyor belt' to medical transition. He has also advocated against access to gender-affirming medical care, most notably testifying in the case

Bell v Tavistock ''Bell and another v The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust'', more often called simply ''Bell v Tavistock'', was a case before the Court of Appeal (England and Wales) on the question of whether puberty blockers could be prescribed to u ...

, and has likened it to the

medical experimentation Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietar ...

performed by

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

during the Holocaust. He has additionally testified in favor of overturning Washington state's ban on conversion therapy. A 2021 article in Wired Magazine described Levine's role in the American prison system, frequently being brought in to testify against allowing trans prisoners access to medical or social transition, and being used by many prisons in a clinical context to deny said measures to individual prisoners.

Selected publications

*Levine SB (1975). Premature ejaculation: Some thoughts about its pathogenesis. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 1, Issue 4 Summer 1975, pages 326 – 334. *Levine SB, Yost MA (1976). Frequency of sexual dysfunction in a general gynecological clinic: An epidemiological approach. ''

'' Volume 5, Number 3 / May, 1976, 229-238. *Levine SB, Agle D (1978). The effectiveness of sex therapy for chronic secondary psychological impotence. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 4, Issue 4 Winter 1978, pages 235 - 258 *Levine SB, Yost MA (1980). Psychiatric Diagnosis Of Patients Requesting Sex Reassignment Surgery. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 6, Issue 3 Autumn 1980, pages 164 – 173. *Levine SB, Lothstein L (1981). Transsexualism or the Gender Dysphoria Syndromes. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 7, Issue 2 Summer 1981, pages 85 – 113. *Levine SB (1982). A Modern Perspective on Nymphomania. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 8, Issue 4 Winter 1982, pages 316 – 324. *Levine SB, Shumaker RE (1983). Increasingly ruth: Toward understanding sex reassignment. ''

'' Volume 12, Number 3 / June, 1983, 247-261. *Levine SB (1984). An essay on the nature of sexual desire. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 10, Issue 2 Summer 1984, pages 83 – 96 *Levine SB (1987). More on the nature of sexual desire. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 13, Issue 1 Spring 1987, pages 35 – 44. *Levine SB (1989). ''Sex Is Not Simple''. Ohio Psychology Publications. *Turner LA, Althof SE, Levine SB, et al. (1989). Self-injection of papaverine and phentolamine in the treatment of psychogenic impotence. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 15, Issue 3 Autumn 1989, pages 163 – 176. *Althof SE, Turner LA, Levine SB, Risen C, Kursh ED (1989). Why do so many people drop out from auto-injection therapy for impotence? '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 15, Issue 2 Summer 1989, pages 121 – 129. *Althof SE, Turner LA, Levine SB, Risen CB, Bodner D, Kursh ED, Resnick MI (1991). Sexual, Psychological, and Marital Impact of Self-Injection of Papaverine and Phentolamine: A Long-Term Prospective Study. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' Volume 17, Issue 2 Summer 1991, pages 101 – 112. * Bradley SJ, Blanchard R, Coates SW, Green R, Levine SB, Meyer-Bahlburg HFL, Pauly IB, Zucker KJ (1991). Interim report of the DSM-IV Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. ''

'' Volume 20, Number 4 / August, 1991 *Levine SB (1992). ''Sexual Life: A Clinician's Guide''. Springer *Levine SB, ed. (1995). ''Clinical Sexuality'' (The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Volume 18, Number 1, March 1995) W.B. Saunders Company ASIN B0014EBK6O *Levine SB (1997). ''Solving Common Sexual Problems: Toward a Problem-Free Sexual Life''. Jason Aronson. *Segraves RT, Levine SB (section editors) Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. In Gabbard GO, ed. (2001). ''Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders.'' *Levine SB, Stagno SJ (2001). Informed Consent for Case Reports: The Ethical Dilemma of Right to Privacy Versus Pedagogical ... ''Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research'' *Levine SB (2002). Reexploring the Concept of Sexual Desire. '' Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy'' *Levine SB (2003). The Nature of Sexual Desire: A Clinician's Perspective. ''

'' *Levine SB, Risen CB, Althof SE, eds. (2003). ''Handbook of Clinical Sexuality for Mental Health Professionals''. Psychology Press *Levine SB (2004). ''Sexuality in Mid-Life''. Springer *Althof SE, Leiblum SR, Chevret-Measson M, et al. (2005). Psychological and Interpersonal Dimensions of Sexual Function and Dysfunction. ''Journal of Sexual Medicine'' *Levine SB (2005). A Reintroduction to Clinical Sexuality. ''Focus'',

*Levine SB (2006). ''Demystifying Love: Plain Talk for the Mental Health Professional''. Brunner-Routledge

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levine, Stephen 1942 births Living people American psychiatrists Transgender studies academics