Political Boundaries in Research

Abstract

In many ways, the current political climate is antithetical to sound research. As an example, Roye shares her experiences attempting to obtain funding to study ways to promote risk-reduction behaviors among sexually active teens when the political agenda focuses on abstinence only. She details a program of funded research that she embarked on prior to the current administration. She describes how she found her work blocked, as she attempted to continue with research designed to identify factors associated with heterosexual anal intercourse among female teens. Her purpose was to design prevention strategies for reducing the incidence of HIV/AIDS among young women of color. She further describes her feelings when finding herself on the hit list of scientists whose work was deemed objectionable for ideological reasons and she shares current activities that various organizations are engaged in to protest the political obstruction of scientific investigation.