We’re surrounded by ‘sexperts’ telling us what to do in the bedroom. But how would they know?

Sex still sells. But sex and anxiety sells even more – hence the never-ending features and programs detailing the mistakes you might be making, gaps in your knowledge and new things you simply must try. Women’s magazines are the most promiscuous in this area, but the internet, TV, radio and newspapers can hardly claim total abstinence either.

And what if the "could do better" areas of your sex life have been identified (or, arguably, invented)? The publication or program tackling the issue must have a solution – but they need a hefty dose of authority to convince you that some desk-bound journalist knows more about your sex life than you do. They need statistics. And examples. And quotes. They need, in short, a sexpert.

Sexperts are not a new invention – the word, apparently, has its origins in the 1920s – but their proliferation in recent years is noticeable, thanks to a combination of ever-increasing coverage of sex, trends in journalism that demand collaboration from experts to lend a story authenticity and authority, and a more general guru cult. We look to "experts" for guidance on everything.

There is no clear path to becoming a sexpert and no particular qualifications required.

"I wrote a book about sex, was invited on TV and then suddenly I was being introduced as a ‘sexpert’," says Tracey Cox, one of the most celebrated experts in the field of sex and relationships. "And that’s how you become a sexpert. I do find the term difficult, because anyone can call themselves a sexpert and it’s not necessarily true."

Cox has a degree in psychology and more than two decades’ experience in learning and writing about sex, as a journalist and former editor (at Australian Cosmopolitan).

"But I have always been totally honest about the fact that I am just a journalist who is interested in sex. It is my area of expertise, but you have to be clear about what you are qualified to do."

Petra Boynton is not only an expert on sex – she did her PhD on the effects of sexually explicit images and now works as a psychologist at University College, London – but an expert on being an expert. Unfortunately, she says, not all specialists are the most well-qualified people.

"If your livelihood depends on being in the media then some people are going to say anything in order to appear," she says.

Academics and therapists with other sources of income and professional reputations to uphold are not necessarily so compliant.

"There are still always mavericks who’ll say anything to see their name in print," Boynton says. "And that’s not to say that if you’re not an academic you have nothing to offer. It’s just frustrating because we’re sitting on top of a mountain of genuine research and information and it’s hard to get it out there."

It’s not only academics who are frustrated at the quality of information.

"You see the same tips and advice over and over again and I think, ‘That just doesn’t work,"’ Cox says. "If I’m offering a practical tip I make sure it’s been tried out by several people first. Some of the things you read about are just impossible to do."

And once someone has gained a sexpert tag, they may be treated as an oracle, often with little justification.

The blame for this cannot be placed entirely on shady sexperts who don’t deserve the title: journalists and editors also contribute to the problem.

Someone with a book to promote is likely to be more readily available and more pliable than a cranky academic who will get stroppy if he doesn’t feel you’re taking his research seriously or a genuine expert who wants to tell it like it is.

Sex is often not treated very seriously, Boynton says.

"The articles on the subject are very gendered, very feminized, they’re given to non-expert writers to do and have to fit with a racy picture and an attention-grabbing headline."