Teen Pregnancy, Religion, and Sexual Education

When it comes to matters of sex and reproduction, education is the key. Abstinence based education, which is one of the many retarded derivatives of religion, simply doesn't produce results.

In a report recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following data was presented showing the teen pregnancy rates in comparison to the United States' average.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db46.pdf

If green (and light green) were blue, and if blue (and light blue) were red, then this could almost be a typical political party affiliation map. What does that tell you? Maybe, just maybe, those elitist, socialist, godless, liberals know what they're talking about when it comes to sexual education.

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html#/president?view=race08

The map is the bluest (back to the preggo map) around the Bible Belt states, so it would appear that Christianity isn't very effective at preventing premarital sex or teen pregnancies.

A statement from Planned Parenthood said the following:

"This new CDC report makes it crystal clear that the teen birthrate is lower in states that provide students with comprehensive, evidence-based sex education. The report demonstrates that the surest way to reduce teenage pregnancy is to provide young people with comprehensive, medically accurate sex education..." 

And which states don't provide students with comprehensive, evidence-based sexual education? The religious Bible Belt states. I wish I could say that this was shocking, but I'm not convinced that my sarcasm would translate well over the internet.

This is precisely why religion is harmful. There are no secular voices calling for abstinence only education; this is a religious deal. These religious conservatards with their Christian morality are the ones refusing to interject knowledge into the minds of today's youth.

That's a problem.
Teenage pregnancy is a problem.

It should be obvious but I'll say it again:
when it comes to matters of sex and reproduction, education is the key.

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Recommended Links & Sources:

• http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/state-issues/125059-cdc-finds-stark-regional-disparities-in-teen-pregnancy-rates
• http://www.guttmacher.org/statecenter/spibs/spib_SE.pdf
• http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db46.pdf
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/teen-pregnancy-rates-high_n_770881.html
• http://www.npr.org/news/specials/election2008/2008-election-map.html#/president?view=race08