The spread of the international AIDS pandemic has drawn attention to the urgent need for data on human sexual behavior; yet the absence of an established tradition of theory and method in sex research has limited the development of initiatives in this area. This has been particularly evident in the lack of attention given to the ways in which cross‐cultural differences structure the meaning of sexual experience. While survey research can play an important role in documenting sexual behavior, qualitative research on sexual culture is equally important in order to develop a framework for the comparative analysis of behavioral data. This article seeks to contribute to the development of theory and method in sex research by outlining key research issues and possible methodologies for the qualitative investigation of sexual culture in relation to HIV/AIDS.