Friday, April 29, 2011

This is rediculous!

How can someone be asked to resign for citing a peer-reviewed paper?

Dr. Greenfield, M.D. was.  Let me begin by stating this doctor is no ordinary surgeon.  Until last week he was the president-elect of the American College of Surgeons and the inventor of the Greenfield Filter, a device that prevents blood clots during surgery.  No doubt it has has saved countless lives.  He's been awarded professor emeritus of surgery at the University of Michigan and has written more than 360 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.  Additionaly, he has written over 128 book chapters and two textbooks.  He has also served on the Editorial Board of 15 scientific journals and was the lead editor of the Surgery News, a trade publication in which his writing initiated the odd termed "Semengate".  He wrote an article (with a related paper) regarding the qualities of semen and because of a bad joke about Saint Valentine's Day, semen and chocolate, he was forced to resign.

I see his resignation as pure politics, not evidence of any type or kind.  I see his resignation as more a reflection of the anti-scientific attitudes of segments of this "civil society" we've created and some self-righteous and indignant members within the American College of Surgeons.  It is my opinion they're wrong to have forced this particular issue and missed a great teaching opportunity.  I have always thought Science was based on evidence not politics and, in science unlike politics, knowing is always preferable to not knowing.

It is a biological fact that a mere 5 percent of a man's ejaculate is sperm.  What's left is semen, a simple seminal plasma which is rich in chemicals including many which have the potential to produce mood-altering effects.  These effects are derived from hormones, neuro-transmitters, and endorphins, all quite natural chemicals produced by humans biologically!  There are even female sex hormones in male semen and within an hour or two after insemination heightened levels of many of these same chemicals can be detected within a woman's bloodstream. 

In my gut I always knew there was a very good reason to swallow a man's semen.  Oral sex with men has always made me feel good.  I'm sadened to see Dr. Greenfield go.