Innuendo
I’m currently a little bit annoyed. Not for the reason I’m about to list.
The Deseret News editorial page is always full of…anomaly. I figure Valentines Day is a good a day as any to talk about Sex Ed, so Consider the following:
In “Sex-ed bill removes birth-control ban” (Feb. 10), Action Council executive director, Melissa Bird, states that “research shows the majority of Utah’s high school students become sexually active before graduation.”
I would like Ms. Bird to publish the research she mentions. She needs to include the dates of the research, its source, the funders, the size of the studies and the qualifications and experience of the researchers.
I know plenty of high schoolers who don’t date or who date very rarely and will doubt Ms. Bird’s claim until she prints hard evidence to support it.
Barbara A. Lyman
American Fork
Okay, this really grinds my gears. I work with statistics a lot. Nothing annoys me more when I cite a statistical tendency and someone responds, “I don’t do that/I know someone who doesn’t do that, therefore nobody does that.” It’s especially aggravating to hear someone chastise somebody for not making research public, and then relying on anecdotes to prove their point. Grrrrrrr.
As the original article clearly says, the research was third party anyway. Maybe the letter writer could do some work and go look up the research herself.
Let’s have fun with comments:
So, Barbara, your assertion that Melissa Bird’s claim is incorrect is based on the fact that you know some high school students who don’t date or do so very rarely?
I want you to publish that research, including the dates of said research, its source, the funders, the size of the studies, and the qualifications and experience of the researchers. And let’s show some hustle.
–Dave Frazier
*Thank you*
arbara, I think you might be in denial about high-schoolers’ behavior. It might be true that you know plenty of students who don’t date - but that doesn’t mean a majority hasn’t engaged in some kind of sexual activity. Furthermore, if you want Ms. Bird to back up her claim with the research evidence, why doesn’t your claim require any evidence? No amount of wishful thinking will change the fact that many, many high school kids are sexually active, and sex ed and birth control can only help them.
Again, thank you. And thank you again for pointing out that it’s not physically impossible to have sex with someone without them buying you dinner first.
The way I feel is this: It’s one thing to believe pre-marital sex is wrong. It’s another thing to ignore the fact that it happens and has always happened, and leave uneducated kids to get diseases and unwanted pregnancies, leading to an increased burden on our health care system and an increased number of abortions.
Since we’re on the topic of abortion, I feel compelled to post the official LDS Church policy regarding abortion. The emphasis added is mine as always:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the sanctity of human life. Therefore, the Church opposes elective abortion for personal or social convenience, and counsels its members not to submit to, perform, encourage, pay for, or arrange for such abortions.
The Church allows for possible exceptions for its members when:
• Pregnancy results from rape or incest, or
• A competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or
• A competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth.
The Church teaches its members that even these rare exceptions do not justify abortion automatically. Abortion is a most serious matter and should be considered only after the persons involved have consulted with their local church leaders and feel through personal prayer that their decision is correct.
The Church has not favored or opposed legislative proposals or public demonstrations concerning abortion.
Sunday, February 15th, 2009