The Science Of Sex: What Is It And Who's Doing It?

Although it is a widespread field of study, sex research-- particularly that dealing with human sexuality--is still subject to stigma, many scientists agree. "It's okay to use sex for advertising--Pepsi, beer, and Calvin Klein jeans--but when it comes to research, sex is still a bad word," says Robert Friar, a professor at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., where he teaches anatomy and physiology and a course on human sexuality. That this stigma comes hand in hand with difficulties in obtaining research funds is a reason that many are reluctant to classify themselves as sex researchers, say scientists like Howard Ruppell, executive director of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex, headquartered in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and an adjunct professor of social work at the University of Iowa, and James Weinrich of the department of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. "There are several issues that ...