Kinsey Confidential overhauls site

Sex has never been so high-tech.

The Kinsey Confidential Web site has gone through an overhaul not only in its appearance, but also in its content.

The Web site’s overhaul makes information simpler to read and easier to find, said
Jennifer Bass communications director at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction.

Information is based on research and scientific findings done by professionals in the field.

The goal of the Web site is to provide college-aged students with the newest research and information found at The Kinsey Institute and help the college-aged audience learn about sex, relationships and sexuality, said Eric Anthony Grollman, a Ph.D. student and instructor in sociology, in an e-mail.

Readers may submit questions and receive thorough answers from Debby Herbenick, associate director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at the School of Health,
Physical Education and Recreation. Herbenick also has podcasts in partnership with WFIU Public Radio to answer even more inquiries.

Students receiving their doctorate in subjects such as sociology and higher education and student affairs blog based on their take on new research and various topics dealing with sex.

“Each one of us brings our own backgrounds and different personalities,” said Bradley Blankenship, Ph.D. candidate in higher education and student affairs.

Blankenship specifically writes about college and high school issues. He has written a blog on being “sexiled” from dorm rooms and plans to write a blog on how gay and lesbian students should approach studying abroad.

The hope is that students will get their information from the Kinsey Confidential Web site rather than unreliable sources.

“People think that there is so much information about sex on the Internet, but not a lot of it is reliable,” Bass said.

Many young people get their sex information from popular magazines and other media outlets, but they are not as research-based as the Web site.

“I look at many of the so-called reliable sources and notice how many make assumptions,” Bass said.

A lot of media facets base their content on sex trends.

“Trends come and go,” Bass said. “We want to cut through the trends and cut through commercialism. We just want to try to a trusted source.”

www.kinseyconfidential.org