Roundup: Oh, The Things You'll Learn!

Roundup: Oh, The Things You’ll Learn!

Dec 17, 2009, 8:55am

Robin Marty

Do you think two condoms are better than one? Or that sex standing up means you're less likely to get pregnant? Then welcome to Generation Y! And, where or where is Sen. Ben Nelson from...

Generation Y is dumb. Or, at least, so says the latest study from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancies. According to the group’s press release:

Many unmarried young adults say they know little about contraception.
Even though 82% have used some form of contraception in the past and
90% believe they have all the knowledge they need to avoid an unplanned
pregnancy:

About six in ten (63%) say they know "little" or "nothing" about birth control pills.

Three in ten (30%) say they know little or nothing about condoms.

So what has caused this great ignorance? The Examiner has its own ideas:

There are many reasons that one could say is the cause of such
ignorance towards unprotected sex within Gen Y. Some may say that the
parents are to blame, that they did not give “the talk” to their kids
at an early age (if ever at all). Others may say that it is the lack
of sex education being taught in schools; whether it is due to not
enough funding or lack of support by the faculty, students, and/or
parents.

EmpowerHER also believes that lack of sex ed is primarily to blame:

Laura Lindberg, senior research associate at the nonprofit Guttmacher
Institute, attributes the results to abstinence-only education. She tells CNN,
"Abstinence-only curriculums have gone explicitly out of their way to
teach misconceptions about contraception … This generation of
20-somethings have missed many opportunities to get medically accurate
and correct information."

Here are just a couple of the more egregious misconceptions young adults surveyed had about sex:

18% of men think having sex standing up reduces the chances of pregnancy.

42% of men and 40% of women believe that the chance of
getting pregnant within a year while using the pill is 50% or greater,
despite research showing that the birth control pill is typically 92%
effective.

28% of men incorrectly think wearing two condoms
provides extra protection; in fact two condoms are more likely to break
due to friction.

However, on the good news side, at least it’s been proven now that "casual sex won’t make you go insane." That’s a relief.

Mini Roundup: Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson may still seem really important. But that doesn’t mean everyone knows who he is…

December 17, 2009

Wisconsin
‘pro-choice
Catholic’ group is disowning Catholic heritage … Catholic News Agency

Abortion is
not health care Casper
Star-Tribune Online

In
Senate Health Showdown, Round Goes to GOP New York Times

How
well do we support teen girls deciding against abortion? St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Family
Planning Contracts Approved Austin Chronicle

Significance
Of Women’s Health Graphic
Online

Could
it be true? Is Gen Y sexually unprotected? Examiner.com

Young
Adults Know Nothing About Sex EmpowHer

Guess
What? Casual Sex Won’t Make You Go Insane AlterNet