Texas Republicans Caught on Tape Mansplaining: Sex Ed Gets Kids “Hot and Bothered,” Causes Pregnancy
You probably already know these cavemen think like this, but it sure is revealing to hear them letting their guard down and admitting that their agenda is not just anti-abortion, it’s anti-contraception and anti-sex education, and well, just basically misogynistic to the max: Texas Lawmaker: Sex Ed Gets Teens ‘Hot and Bothered,’ Leads to Pregnancy.
Check out the audio clip of the conversation among state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, state Rep. Bill Zedler, R-Arlington, and state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin. The three were speaking just minutes after the House State Affairs Committee approved legislation with extreme abortion restrictions that could cause most of the state’s clinics to close. Rep. Howard was explaining to her colleagues that responsible sex education, including information on birth control, would lower the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions. Rep. Toth didn’t agree:
“My wife worked at a home for unwed moms, and one of the little kids that was born, his name is David. David came about as a result of his mom and dad, who were just 16 at the time, going to a Planned Parenthood deal where they taught them how to use contraceptives. They were not sexually active at that point. They got into the car, and they were so hot and bothered from this deal, he couldn’t even get the condom on.”
If you listen to the rest of the clip, you’ll hear an exasperated Rep. Howard asking her colleagues to move beyond absurd anecdotes and provide some real data to back up their arguments. Needless to say, they have no data to provide. Rep. Toth and Rep. Zedler, like so many of their colleagues at the Capitol, apparently prefer to legislate by anecdote. But we can point to some real facts on sex education:
- A 2012 study found no evidence that formal sex education leads teens to initiate sexual activity earlier or to engage in greater risk taking.
- A November 2007 report explained that “two-thirds of the 48 comprehensive programs that supported both abstinence and the use of condoms and contraceptives for sexually active teens had positive behavioral effects.” Many either delayed or reduced sexual activity, reduced the number of sexual partners, or increased condom or contraceptive use. None of the comprehensive programs hastened the initiation of sex or increased the frequency of sex.
- Access to effective contraception dramatically reduces unplanned pregnancy and abortion.
Notice that state Rep. Steve Toth also openly admits in this audio clip that their goal is “setting up barriers” to stop women from choosing abortions.
(h/t: jaunte.)
