A remarcable pioneer in the field of sexology has left us
Dr Mireille Bonierbale (1945-2025) died on September 20th at the Leon Berard Hospital in Lyon (France).
She never left sexology
Mireille lived and worked in Marseille, France, where she spent her entire career as a physician, psychiatrist, and medical sexologist. She practiced as a psychiatrist in a public hospital from 2002 to 2012 and created the Interdisciplinary Diploma in Sexology (Faculty of Medicine, University of Marseille), which she directed between 1988 and 2012. She was president of the AIUS (Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Association of Sexology) and a founding member and member of the executive committee of the French Federation of Sexology and Sexual Health. She was also a founding member and president of SOFECT (French Society for the Study and Treatment of Transsexualism). Finally, she was the founding editor-in-chief and editor-in-chief of the journal Sexologies: European Journal of Sexology and Sexual Health, which has become the European reference in sexological science. She also participated, along with Robert Porto, to the leadership of the European Federation of Sexology.
After more than 40 years of clinical practice (in private practice and in public hospitals), she retired but continued to serve as editor-in-chief of the journal. In addition to her significant involvement in the management of French and European sexology organizations, Mireille Bonierbale was a pioneer in the care of transgender adults (2004-2012), sexual dysfunction, and forensic sexology. She received the WAS Gold Medal in 2019 at the WAS Congress in Mexico City. She advocated for an open and multidisciplinary medical approach in sexology.
