The+Kinsey+Institute+for+Research+in+Sex,+Gender,+&+Reproduction

Ryne Ludke

The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, & Reproduction is located in Morrison Hall on Indiana University’s campus in Bloomington, IN. The institute was founded as a way to provide location for research based on human sexuality and behaviors associated with it by Dr. Alfred Kinsey in 1947. The Kinsey Institute’s mission is to, “promote interdisciplinary research and scholarship in the fields of human sexuality, gender, and reproduction” (Mission).
 * The Kinsey Institute**

The idea for The Kinsey Institute began when the Association of Women Students at Indiana University petitioned the university for a course that would help out students that were thinking about marriage. Dr. Alfred C. Kinsey was asked to coordinate the course. When he started preparing for it, he found that there was very little information and data compiled on sexual behavior. The information that was around was based on very small numbers of people. Dr. Kinsey began conducting his own research and compiling information based on over 18,000 in-depth interviews on sexual histories. In 1947, the institute was established as a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with Indiana University in order to ensure a secure and permanent location for Dr. Kinsey’s multitude of research (Origin).
 * History**[[image:KInsey.jpg align="right" caption="The Kinsey Institute, located in Morrison Hall at Indiana University"]]

The Kinsey Reports are made up of two books released in 1948 and 1953 titled //Sexual Behavior in the Human Male// and //Sexual Behavior in the Human Female// respectively. These two books, written by Dr. Kinsey and fellow researchers, were very successful and shattered the public’s common perception of many sexual aspects. The books focused on a broad range of topics, and looked at how age, religious affiliation, socio-economic status, and gender influenced sexual behavior in people. Sexual orientation was especially discussed, and a seven-category scale was developed to rate people’s sexual orientation from “completely heterosexual” to “completely homosexual”. The reports also fell under heavy criticism because they included data that critics felt could not have been compiled without interaction with child molesters. The Kinsey Institute acknowledged that it did conduct interviews with men who had experiences with children sexually, and that these men needed to remain anonymous in order to obtain honest answers on a very controversial subject (Kinsey Reports).
 * The Kinsey Reports**

The Kinsey Institute is currently researching a vast number of topics regarding sexual behavior in human beings. One of these topics is intimate relationships among couples and how cultural differences affect the role of sex in long-term relationships. Another topic being looked at is sexual decision making. This research is looking at how people become sexually excited and what influences the sexual decisions that people make. Among factors being discussed are alcohol, addiction, and depression along with which parts of the brain are part of the sexual decision making process. The institute is also researching various definitions of sex. They understand that the term “sex” means a lot of different things to different people. The institute is looking at differences of definitions between cultures, age, and gender in order to provide health-care providers a more concrete image of what people mean when they say “having sex”. Another study being done involves errors with condom usage. The institute is looking for the reasons for the common errors associated with condoms and how to fix them. They believe that reducing condom problems could have an enormous impact on preventing HIV and STIs. Yet another study being conducted involves postpartum depression in new mothers. Researchers are looking at the hormone oxytocin and its protective qualities against postpartum depression and how it could intervene with hormonal applications. The institute is also currently conducting extensive research in the non-industrialized country of Bolivia. Researchers are looking at the changes in health indicators and hormones that have an effect on a woman’s transition through menopause. This study aims to determine whether the changes associated with menopause are related to a society being industrialized or not. Kinsey researchers are also doing research on women’s sexuality and wellbeing. They are looking at cancer survivors and women who have been sexually abused, and how those physical and emotional barriers influence their sexual lives. The Kinsey Institute has an extensive compilation of past research, and some the subjects of those studies include factors that affect sexual arousal in women, mood and sexuality, cancer survivors and sexual intervention, and oral contraceptives, testosterone and sexuality in women. (Resarch program)
 * Current Research**

In 2004, a biographical film was released titled //Kinsey// that was written and directed by Bill Condon and starred Liam Neeson. The film looks at the life of Dr. Kinsey and his quest as one of the first people to research human sexuality behaviors (//Kinsey//). A novel titled //The Inner Circle// was also published in 2004 written by T.C. Boyle that is a satirical novel that looks at Kinsey’s pursuit of sexual knowledge and its affects on American culture (The Inner Circle).
 * In The Media**

Alfred Kinsey was born on June 23, 1894. Kinsey studied at Bowdoin College and Harvard University after which he became a professor at Indiana University. Around 1933, Kinsey became very interested in sexual practices after extensive discussions with colleagues. Kinsey’s research on sex went further than mere interviews, and he felt it was necessary to include observation and participation in various sexual activities in order to really understand them. He encouraged his fellow researchers to engage in a variety of sexual acts in order to understand the interviewees better. This even went as far as filming sexual acts in the attic of his home. Dr. Kinsey is regarded as one of the pioneers in sexual research and his main works; the Kinsey Reports are seen by some as a major influence on the sexual revolutions of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Dr. Kinsey passed away on August 25, 1956 as a result of a heart ailment. (Alfred Kinsey)
 * Dr. Alfred Kinsey**

Alfred Kinsey. [].
 * References**

Image. [].

The Inner Circle. http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/inner_circle.html.

//Kinsey//. [].

Kinsey Reports. [].

Mission. [].

Origin of the Institute. [].

Research Program. http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/research/index.html.