Introduction

Dr Rob Knight studies how skin bacteria jump from person to person. In one 2009 study meant to simulate human contact, he used a Q-tip to cotton swab first one subject's mouth or skin, then another's. On the consent forms, he said risks were near zero. It was the equivalent of kissing another person's hand. His IRB, that is institutional review board, worried the study would give patients AIDS. Dr Knight tried to explain that you can't get AIDS from skin contact. The IRB refused to listen. Finally, Dr Knight found some kind of diversity coordinator person who offered to explain that claiming you can getAIDS from skin contact is offensive. They backed down and