Tearoom Trade Study
The Tearoom Trade Study was a behavioral study of homosexual men seeking casual sex. Laud Humphreys conducted the research for his doctoral dissertation and a subsequent book. It is a prominent case study of unethical human subject research.
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History
Laud Humphreys studied homosexual men meeting in public places, especially bathrooms, to have casual and anonymous sex. This practice is also sometimes known as 'tea-rooming'. He studied these individuals by participating as a look-out, then confronted the individuals afterwards for interviews (by noting their license plates). He did not reveal his intentions to every subject, and made several efforts to conceal his own identity.