Dangerous Politics and Sex Research: The Example of “Penis-gate 2011”

In summer 2011, a conservative lobby group released an inaccurate statement decrying the National Institutes for Health for allegedly funding four research studies the group deemed “bizarre.” Two of these studies explicitly involved sexuality research. This paper responds to the allegations around o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sexuality research & social policy 2012-06, Vol.9 (2), p.95-98
Main Author: Grov, Christian
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Health
Mass Media
Politics
Psychology
Risk
Sexual Behavior
Sexuality
Social Sciences
Threat
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Summary:In summer 2011, a conservative lobby group released an inaccurate statement decrying the National Institutes for Health for allegedly funding four research studies the group deemed “bizarre.” Two of these studies explicitly involved sexuality research. This paper responds to the allegations around one of the studies and describes the subsequent media firestorm generated as a result of the lobby group’s report. This paper concludes by illustrating some of the dangers these types of allegations pose for science and researchers, and offers advice for how to navigate negative media attention.
ISSN:1868-9884
1553-6610
DOI:10.1007/s13178-012-0080-7