Kinsey Institute brings radical sex research to IU

How men make decisions about sexual partners, how mood affects sexual arousal in women and what prevents couples from using condoms are only some of the topics on sex being researched at IU’s ground-breaking Kinsey Institute. The Institute has been a source of research and information about issues in sex, gender and reproduction since 1947.

The Institute is named for Dr. Alfred Kinsey. Kinsey gathered histories of sexual behavior in thousands of interviews, which culminated in his book “Sexual Behavior in the Human Male,” published in 1948.

This was followed by his “Sexual Behavior in the Human Female” in 1953. The volume “surprised everyone when it became a bestseller,” according to the Kinsey website.

The Kinsey Institute offers a library, art collections, events, an active research program and the Kinsey Confidential Website. For example, Kinsey has 250 original prints by Wilhelm von Gloeden, who is known as the first photographer of the male nude.

Open Monday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Gallery showcases selected pieces from the Institute’s collection of art, artifacts and photography.

Self-guided tours are available Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and guided public tours are offered on certain Fridays. Reservations are required for public tours and can be made by calling 812-855-7686 or emailing kinsey@indiana.edu.

Have questions about birth control, sexual dysfunction, condoms, orgasm or sexual assault? Kinsey Confidential is a blog and podcast website from The Kinsey Institute that provides information on sexual issues for college students.

Questions can anonymously be submitted on the website.