Podcast, blog added to Kinsey Web site

The Kinsey Institute modernized its Web site last week to make it more attractive to college-age adults. \nThe Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction has added three-minute podcasts to the site to appeal to a more modern audience. These podcasts cover many different topics on sex and sexual behavior.\n“We invite students to ask questions,” said Jennifer Bass, spokeswoman for the Kinsey Institute.\nThese podcasts, which are co-produced by IU’s public radio station WFIU, are taken from actual questions that people have asked the institution, Bass said.\nThe Web site, “Kinsey Confidential,” at www.kinseyconfidential.org, developed from the Kinsey Institute’s sexuality information service column that has appeared in the Indiana Daily Student, among other college newspapers, since 2001.\n“Many people prefer to read sex advice columns, Web sites, blogs and other online resources,” said Christina Kuzmych, the WFIU station manager in an e-mail. “Podcasting is a useful way to reach this audience.”\nAlthough not all questions received by the institution are answered in the podcasts, they might be answered on the Kinsey Confidential Web site or in the newspaper column, Kuzmych said.\n“We’ve also recently revamped the Kinsey Web site and included a blog portion,” said Debby Herbenick, a sexual health educator for the Kinsey Institute.\nHerbenick said students can also listen to the podcasts by uploading them to other mediums such as MP3 players.\nThose who want more information on sex and sexual behavior can submit questions through a form on the Kinsey Confidential Web site, or browse the Web site for questions others have submitted. The Kinsey Institute answers questions submitted through the Web site by e-mail as well.\nThe Web site explains their commitment to the privacy of all information that is submitted and states that information will never be posted on the site without a user’s explicit permission.\n“It’s a resource (IU students) can trust,” Herbenick said.\nBass explained that the podcasts are used as another tool for getting information about sexual health, in addition to other features on the Web site and the newspaper column.\n“In terms of IU students, it’s something to be proud of,” Bass said.