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

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgment

I would like to thank Jeffrey T. Parsons and David S. Bimbi along with the research teams at the Center for HIV/AIDS Educational Studies and Training (CHEST) and the National Development and Research Institutes (NDRI). Special thanks are given to the Public Relations Offices at Hunter College of CUNY and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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Correspondence to Christian Grov.

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Grov, C. Dangerous Politics and Sex Research: The Example of “Penis-gate 2011”. Sex Res Soc Policy 9, 95–98 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-012-0080-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-012-0080-7

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