Beverly Whipple, a nurse, psychologist and sex educator, died at 85 in Voorhees, N. J. She became famous after co‑authoring the 1982 bestseller “The G Spot: And Other Recent Discoveries About Human Sexuality,” which popularized the concept of a sensitive vaginal area and sold over a million copies in 19 languages.
Whipple appeared on more than 300 TV/radio shows, gave 800+ talks, and wrote 100+ scientific articles. Early in her career she studied female eroticism, uncovered a 1950 German article by Ernst Gräfenberg, and helped rename the area from “Whipple Tickle” to the G‑spot. Though praised for empowering women’s sexuality, she later downplayed the term, preferring “clitourethrovaginal complex” and emphasizing varied erogenous zones.
Whipple’s plain‑spoken, accepting approach shocked and informed global audiences, earning her a place on Cosmopolitan’s “10 Sexual Revolutionaries You Should Know” list in 2013.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing