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38
Introduction
nottheessenceofhumanity,thenitsimportantconditions.Investigationoftheformsof
sexuality,itsmanifestationsandsexualneedsofcontemporaryhumansmayrevealmuch
abouttheircurrentphysical,mentalandmoralcondition.
However,toinvestigatesexualityisnotaneasytask.Neitheranywhereintheworld
nor-themoreso-inPoland.Onewalksonthinicehere,therearenoharddata,fully
impartialresearchmethodsorfullyverifiableresults.Notonlyissexualityentangledin
humanpsyche,invariablesocialrelationships,culturalstandardsoftimidityordifficult
languageofexpression(itisnoteasytotalkaboutsexuality,one’sownsexualityin
particular)butalsoresearchersfacehardshipswhiletryingtobreakthroughstereotypes,
phobias,complexesorevenaggressionofthesurveyed.Theresearcherbreaksmanyta-
boos.Inordertomakesexasubjectofresearch,andespeciallytorecoveritsrealimage,
alsonumerousbordersmustbebroken,thebordersofintimacy,resourcelessnessorshy-
ness.Animportantmessagefortheaccomplishmentofmyresearchprojectwasuttered
byProf.MikołajKozakiewiczduringourdiscussion:‘Itisworthexaminingthereality
andnottoinvolveindisputesontheoutlooksonlifeastheyaretwodifferentthings’.
Despiteanyobstaclesandinconveniencies,itisanextraordinarilyimpressiveand
offeringcognitivesatisfactiontask,especiallyduetothefactthatthefindingsarousekeen
interestofbothresearchenvironmentsandthemedia.Thisissobecausepeoplewantto
learnaboutsexualitynotonlyasasubjectoftheirownexperiencebutalsoasasocial
phenomenonandanareaofsexualmedicine.Thatiswhysexualityhasbeenthemajor
subjectofmyscientificinterestfor25yearsnowand,irrespectivelyofvariousimpedi-
mentsforsuchresearch,Ihavenotabandonedit.
ThestudyIamaddressingtothereadershereisaveryspecificpublication.Itpresents
merelyonepointofviewuponhumansexuality.Thus,itisbothscientificandauthor’s
pointofview.Theaimofthebookisnottopresentanexhaustivereportonthestudyon
sexualityingeneralbuttosummarizetheresearchoutputoftheauthor.Theprofoundly
intentionalideawhichisseldomtobefoundinmonographicelaborationsofsuchabroad
andcomplexissueashumansexualityiswasdefinitelynotinducedbyanylackoftrust
inauthorsofotherresearchbutbytheneedtoreviewtheauthor’sownoutputandoffer
itforpublicevaluation.
Intheyears2001-2007,Icompletedmorethantenresearchprojectsrelatedto
sexualityofPoles.Theideatopresenttheminonebookisrelativelynew,however,and
atfirstitseemedanirrationalplan.Afterquitealonghesitation,thedesiretoshowthe
imageofsexualityofcontemporaryPolesastheresultantofthefindingsofmysurveys
oftheearly21stcenturywon.Suchapublication,itsvolume,structureandformshould
be,however,adoptedtothenatureoftheproject.Thepartswhichpresentthefindingsof
thesurveysprevailinthebookpurposefully.
Thefindingsareprincipallypresentedindetailasthevastmajorityofthemhave
neverbeenpublished.Thus,itseemedtomethatthosereaderswhomightbeinterested
inlearningthefindings,wouldliketoobtaintheoriginalmaterial,frequencytablesand
notthesyntheticstatisticaldataonly.Duetothesamereasons,Ihaveusuallyavoided
anyexcessiveinterpretationoftheresearchfindingsinthecourseoftheanalysisofthem,
evenwheresomeexplanationsseemedobvioustome.Ontheonehand,Iamawareof
thefactthatsomereaderswhoseattitudeislessanalyticmayconsiderthisconceptof
presentationofthefindingsinsufficient.Ontheotherhand,asIcherishhopesthatthe
bookwillbereadbyrepresentativesofvariousspheresofscience,someinexplicitness