4 ms·

> I think Republicans are more likely not to want to mention or distribute condoms to teens in sex education, but I don't regard this as quite the same general

by derleth 14y ago

> I think Republicans are more likely not to want to mention or distribute condoms to teens in sex education, but I don't regard this as quite the same general disregard for science and math. It's a fairly settled issue in social science, though, that abstinence-only sex ed doesn't work. Not a hard science, perhaps, but still a science in that it's data-driven and rejects hypotheses based on new data. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097%2FGCO.0b013e3282efdc0b http://dx.doi.org/10.1097%2FGCO.0b013e3282efdc0b http://journals.lww.com/co-obgyn/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2007&issue=10000&article=00008&type=abstract http://journals.lww.com/co-obgyn/pages/articleviewer.aspx?ye...

anamax 14y ago
> It's a fairly settled issue in social science, though, that abstinence-only sex ed doesn't work. So? The alternative to abstinence-only sex ed isn't perfection, it's a bunch of stuff that doesn't work all that well either. Your links are all behind paywalls. That said, they're probably just like the other work on the subject. Their "measure of success" is curious at best. (No, reducing teen pregnancy isn't the only goal.) As to "telling teaching inaccuracies", no other teaching is held to that standard, so why is abstinence-only sex ed held to that standard? Note - I think that abstinence-only sex ed is a bad idea. My point is that the arguments are not "scientific" or fair. That said, they are doing a great job in discrediting science. If that's your goal....
- rayiner 14y ago
  > As to "telling teaching inaccuracies", no other teaching is held to that standard, so why is abstinence-only sex ed held to that standard? Because kids going around with misconceptions about what really caused the American Revolution is less dangerous than kids going around with misconceptions about reproductive issues.
  - anamax 14y ago
    > Because kids going around with misconceptions about what really caused the American Revolution is less dangerous than kids going around with misconceptions about reproductive issues. Umm, if it doesn't matter whether it is true, why are we teaching it? And no, sex ed isn't the only dangerous thing that we mis-teach kids about. But, thanks for demonstrating your priorities. However, I'm still unclear on why I should be paying for them.
tptacek 14y ago
If the Democrats are so good at math, why have so many of their state governments bankrupted themselves with insane pension commitments? Reality is much more nuanced than "blue versus red".

by derleth 14y ago

anamax 14y ago

> It's a fairly settled issue in social science, though, that abstinence-only sex ed doesn't work. So? The alternative to abstinence-only sex ed isn't perfection, it's a bunch of stuff that doesn't work all that well either. Your links are all behind paywalls. That said, they're probably just like the other work on the subject. Their "measure of success" is curious at best. (No, reducing teen pregnancy isn't the only goal.) As to "telling teaching inaccuracies", no other teaching is held to that standard, so why is abstinence-only sex ed held to that standard? Note - I think that abstinence-only sex ed is a bad idea. My point is that the arguments are not "scientific" or fair. That said, they are doing a great job in discrediting science. If that's your goal....

rayiner 14y ago
> As to "telling teaching inaccuracies", no other teaching is held to that standard, so why is abstinence-only sex ed held to that standard? Because kids going around with misconceptions about what really caused the American Revolution is less dangerous than kids going around with misconceptions about reproductive issues.
- anamax 14y ago
  > Because kids going around with misconceptions about what really caused the American Revolution is less dangerous than kids going around with misconceptions about reproductive issues. Umm, if it doesn't matter whether it is true, why are we teaching it? And no, sex ed isn't the only dangerous thing that we mis-teach kids about. But, thanks for demonstrating your priorities. However, I'm still unclear on why I should be paying for them.

tptacek 14y ago

If the Democrats are so good at math, why have so many of their state governments bankrupted themselves with insane pension commitments? Reality is much more nuanced than "blue versus red".