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November 11, 2004
Restricting information
In addition to outright lying, one way the right tries to enforce their morality is by denying information to people, particularly to women and teens. Because so much of their agenda is aimed at controlling sexuality and enforcing births, information about birth control cannot be allowed. While they talk about preventing abortions, their true underlying agenda becomes clear when we discuss birth control. In their view, the only information kids should get about sex is advice to abstain, and information about birth control and STDs shouldn't be allowed.
Now I don't personally think teens in general should be having sex, especially young teens. But the problem with abstinence-only education is that it doesn't work. This blog posting at the Ms. magazine site points out that in Texas — where birth control information is suppressed — 15-17 year old girls have the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. Kids don't stop having sex when you deny them information on birth control and STDs; they have unprotected sex instead, and end up having children while they're still children themselves.
Alternatively, we end up with even more abortions. While Bush has been president and has waged a consistent war against both abortion and birth control, the abortion rate has risen, after a decade where abortion rates fell every year. If our goal is to keep abortion safe, legal, and rare, suppressing information about birth control is not the way to proceed. And if you think restricting information is the way to prevent abortions and teenage sex, you need to think again, because your methods are not working.
Posted by jnfr at November 11, 2004 02:00 PM