As part of its crackdown on wasteful government spending, the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is investigating how the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) was allocated $442,340 for a study on the behavioural patterns of male prostitutes in Vietnam.
This expenditure has sparked a significant debate over the allocation of public funds, particularly when the study’s broader implications and outcomes remain ambiguous.
The study, which aimed to understand the social milieu and impact of male sex work on the HIV epidemics in major Vietnamese cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, was funded over several fiscal years, drawing approximately $500,000 annually since 2008.
According to the department’s tweet, not only was the funding deemed questionable, but Senator Lindsey Graham, who was involved in some capacity with the study, reportedly never reported back with findings. This lack of feedback has raised eyebrows and questions about accountability and the effectiveness of such research endeavours.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health spent $442,340 to study the behavior of male prostitutes in Vietnam.
That won’t happen again & Lindsey Graham never reported back with his findings. pic.twitter.com/E4DwjtuvTf
— DOGE – Department of Government Effeciency Parody (@realdogenews) November 16, 2024
