Koop advocated safe sex at a time when the administration and, very vocally, first lady Nancy Reagan, were lobbying for abstinence. As a result, he gained a reputation for being freethinking and honest. After leaving office, Koop continued to spread the word about various health issues, both through his writing and public appearances and in his work as senior scholar at Dartmouth University's C. Everett Koop Institute. Along the way, of course, he also got wired. On the site, Koop and his staff of 130 provide a wide range of advice and information on everything from the common cold to heart disease.
Doctors answer questions submitted by the site's users and evaluate trends in medicine.
Visitors can use an online application that warns of dangerous prescription-drug combinations and other interactions. Given that the site was built largely on the reputation of its namesake and founder, many people were shocked when Koop's business practices were called into question. In an investigative report published last fall by The New York Times , Koop was accused of having been bought off by drug companies and of failing to disclose financial arrangements with advertisers on the Web site. In the wake of the controversy, we sat down with Koop to talk about his Web site, about the ethical charges leveled against him, and about the new role of the Internet in the nation's health. A survivor's guide.