Truth, Lies, and Public Health

About the Author
MADELON LUBIN FINKEL is Professor of Clinical Public Health at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She serves as Director of the Office of International Medical Education as well as Director of Cornell Analytics Consulting Services at Weill Medical College. Health care policy and women's health issues are the focus of her research. She also authored Understanding the Mammography Controversy: Science, Politics, and Breast Cancer Screening (Praeger, 2005).
Book Description
The "politicalization" of research findings has become prevalent over the past two decades. Politics often prevents the implementation of policy supported by irrefutable science. Most of us understand something about how this is happening with stem cell research, but Cornell's Madelon Finkel delves deep into the subject to make the issues clear, also revealing how ideology and politics are distorting, diminishing, and destroying scientific research results regarding topics from needle exchange to medical marijuana use and HIV/AIDS prevention. When ideology--whether it is the ideology of scientists and clinicians or of politicians--distorts scientific findings and public health judgment, public welfare is endangered, potentially affecting every person in our nation. Finkel also discusses how research is funded and how ideology has influenced that process. Numerous examples are given to illustrate the consequences of co-opting the scientific integrity of a program in this way. Public health policies traced back and discussed in this book include those focused on: BLContraception BLThe Global AIDS epidemic BLStem Cell research BLMarijuana as medicine BLNeedle exchange programs BLTuberculosis control BLDietary supplements BLSilicone breast implants BLObesity BLVaccination and disease prevention.