Roundup: Two Proposed Sex Education Options in Utah

Two Proposed Sex Education Options in Utah; Early Weaning May Explain Phenomenon of "Missing Girls"; Contraceptive Use Decreased, but Teens' Sexual Activity Remains the Same.

Two Proposed Sex Education Options in Utah
The Deseret News
reports that Utah State Rep. Lynn Hemingway, D-Salt Lake, proposed a
sex education bill to the Health and Human Services Interim Committee
Wednesday. The bill would mandate that schools offer two sex education
options, with parents being able to choose which one is the most
appropriate for their child.

According to the article,
one course would be abstinence-based and teach students to wait until
marriage for sexual activity, but would offer information on sexually
transmitted diseases. The other option would promote abstinence but
would also offer information on contraception and sexually transmitted
infections.


Hemingway’s argument was supported by statistics that
stated cases of chlamydia increased between 2005 and 2008. "These
numbers are frightening," he said. "This isn’t a moral issue
anymore. This is a health issue."

 

However logical and necessary the
bill is to some, it is meeting opposition by Dalane England, the
conservative Eagle Forum’s vice president of issues, who called the
bill "inappropriate and unnecessary."


The
article said that Hemingway’s bill is modeled after one in North
Carolina, where a similar program is offered to grades seven through
12.
Currently, Utah’s teachers may provide information about contraceptives with the parents’ consent.

Early Weaning May Explain Phenomenon of "Missing Girls"
In
some developing countries, there is a "missing girls" phenomenon, in
which young boys heavily outnumber young girls. One explanation may be
breast-feeding — or the lack thereof.

 

The authors of a working paper
argue that women in developing countries often prefer to have sons over
daughters, and therefore "…wean daughters earlier in the hopes of
restoring their fertility and
conceiving a son, resulting in worse health outcomes for girls."
Breast-feeding increases overall health and temporarily decreases
fertility, according to a New York Times article.


The authors conclude that 14 percent of India’s missing girls is a result of reduced breast-feeding.

Contraceptive Use Decreased, but Teens’ Sexual Activity Remains the Same
A New York Times op-ed
observes that between 1991 and 2003, contraceptive use among teenagers
increased, and subsequently, teenage pregnancy decreased. A report from
Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health argues that in
the years since 2003, sexual activity among teenagers has remained the
same, but contraceptive use has decreased.


The report’s authors
argue that the decrease in contraceptive use among teens is a result
from former President George W. Bush’s investments in abstinence-only
programs, which do not offer any information about contraceptives or
sexually transmitted diseases.


According to the article, President Obama’s plan will allocate some funds to comprehensive sex education.


OTHER NEWS TO NOTE:


June 17: Catholic Culture: Board members of Boston Catholic health agency supported pro-abortion political candidates

June 17: Deseret News:Measure offers 2 sex-ed options

June 17: NYTimes: Teenagers and Pregnancy

June 18: Boston Globe: Many watching as Caritas talks with R.I. hospital

June 17: Daily KOS: Bill O’Reilly, Phill Kline, and Anti-Abortion Anarchy

June 17: Denver Post: Who would decide on necessity of abortions?

June 17: Milk and Cookies: Noam Chomsky & Peter Singer on Abortion

June 17: Naples News: Ave Maria Publix will not sell condoms

June
17: LifeSiteNews: Pro-Life Group Convicted of Calling an Abortion Activist an "Abortionist" is Refused Appeal by Brazilian Supreme Court

June 17: HuffPo: Exposing Fake Women’s Health Clinics: My Visit to a Local Crisis Pregnancy Center

June 17: Truthout: Planned Parenthood = Primary, Preventive Care

June 17: Mermaid Musings Blog: Is there Common Ground in Abortion Reduction?

June 18: Metronews Vancouver: Pro-choice advocates to hold rally in honour of slain doctor

June 17: WSAW: Pregnant Women Thinking of Adoption Should Use Agency

June 17: NewsBusters: CPB Ombudsman: PBS Is Correct That O’Reilly’s ‘Guilty of Promoting Domestic Terrorism’

June 17: Feministing: Brownback: The next Kansas governor?

June 17: CBN: The Brody File: New Abortion Common Ground Website

June 17: Catholic News Agency: Vatican newspaper editor: We support the U.S. bishops but have hopes for Obama

June 17: NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia:Fake Clinics In Our Backyard

June 17: NYTimes: In Poll, Obama Is Seen as Ineffective on the Economy

June 17: LifeSiteNews: Catholic College Leaders Lobby Bishops to Withdraw 2004 Policy Banning Pro-Abortion Speakers

June 17: Newsweek:The Case For Legal Late-Term Abortions

June 17: Wichita Eagle Blogs: Roe decision also about protecting doctors

June 17: NYTimes Freakonomics Blog: Breast-Feeding and the "Missing Girls"

June 17: Pelican Project Pro-Life: Pro-life Groups Will Hold Prayer Vigils, Memorial Outside Tiller’s Closed Abortion Clinic

June 17: Charlottesville Daily Progress: Abortion foes abhor murder

June 17: Courier News: Concerned by church’s inconsistent moral stands

June 17: The Frisky:Anti-Hookup Crusader Laura Sessions Stepp Gets Her Own Podcast

June 17: US News & World Report Blog: Planned Parenthood Ad Emphasizes Primary Care

June 17: St. Louis Beacon: ‘Becoming Emily’ focuses on the story behind a bombing, shedding light on abortion and violence

June 17: Pocono Record: Abortion letter left out a few steps

June 17: Newsweek: Withdrawal Works! And Other Good News About Birth Control

June 17: American Spectator:Murder Still Isn’t Pro-Life