Controversy is nothing new to The Kinsey Institute. It is a part of the Institute history, and an understandable response to a complex topic, the study of sexuality.

Sexual behavior in the news, such as the 2010 National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior from Indiana University and the 2004 release of the Hollywood film, Kinsey, brings renewed controversy about sex research and sexual behavior.

It is our responsibility to counter myth and prejudice about the study of sex, and to stop baseless claims.

Why Study Sex?

Sex research addresses a range of problems, including those related to overpopulation, reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases (most notably, HIV and AIDS), teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, assault and harassment, and sexual dysfunction. These problems require basic understanding of sexual behavior, taking into account individual differences, biological and cultural factors, and the influences of family, society, media and education. The Kinsey Institute recognizes that these problems require an interdisciplinary approach and serves as a center for the study of sexuality.

The Kinsey Institute has a fundamental responsibility to communicate research-based information about sex, identity and health, to help people make informed and healthy choices in their lives and relationships.

Historical and Recent Controversies

Dr. Alfred Kinsey's Research

• Public and media reaction to Kinsey Reports in 1948 and 1953
• Allegations about childhood data of 1948
• Kinsey Institute's response to the film, Kinsey
  

Sex Research and Federal Funding - 2003-04

Alfred C. Kinsey and the Politics of Sex Research (2004) by Dr. John Bancroft, former Kinsey Institute Director. Printed in Annual Review of Sex Research; 2004 (15): 1-39.