Sex, Abortion, and Poverty

Multiple sexual partners may be linked to lower economic perfomance. Consider the following.

Piccione (1995) described only one quarter of top students was sexually active[1]. This meant three quarters of top performers had sex free life style; which meant that majority of top performers did not have sex was surely true. The remaining one quarter were both performing well and sexually active. Was it possible the sexually active one quarter students were going to do poorly later? The authors did not go that far; that possibility did exist. It would mean sex did let top students have lower achievement on their academics if these one quarter top students did not do so well later.

Rector (2003) discovered sexually active teens had a stronger tendency to be depressed[2]. The authors did not research on whether these sexually active teens were top performers. Top performers should not be depressed, should they? Top performers should be at least pleased by their own top academic performance. This could mean lower academic achievement could result from sexual activities.

Rector (2003) also asserted the high possibility for a girl to become a welfare dependent if she became a teen-mother[3]. This meant girls became sexually active in early ages had a stronger tendency to go into poverty.

Rector (2005) found those teens did not start their sexual activity as early as their peers could experience more successful marriages and do better on their school work[4]. Apparently, sex-free adolescents performed better, including on managing their own life.

Strahan (1995) described women with more abortions had much stronger tendency to go into poverty[5]. It is reasonable to assume these women had lots of sex and that was why they needed more abortions. Either sex, abortions or the combination of both could lead to poverty.

Clearly the negative mental and physical health effects of sex outside marriage, which include abortion, venereal disease, reproductive health problems, and distractions associated with troubled and changing relationships will have a negative impact on economic productivity. Indeed, lower levels of health and elevated rates of death may be a proxy for economic hardship. The following study demonstrates that sex outside marriage has tremendous health costs associated with it. I've attached a copy for you.

For example, a study by the CDC (Ebrahim 2005)found that sexual behaviour accounted for around 20 million adverse health consequences - equivalent to over 7,500 per 100,000 people - in 1998. These included infections, infertility, and abortions. And it accounted for almost 30,000 deaths - just over 1% of the total for that year. They compiled data from the U.S. Burden of Disease Study for 1996 to estimate mortality and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) due to sexual behavior. The authors calculated that over 2 million DALYs were attributable to sexual behaviour. This equals over 6% of the national total and adds up to three times the levels of other wealthy nations. Almost two thirds (62%) of the adverse health consequences were borne by women, who were also most affected by disability (57%). Proportionately more men than women died (66%), but the authors point out that if HIV/AIDS is taken out of the equation, then 80% of the deaths attributed to sexual behaviour would have been among women. Cervical cancer and HIV infection were the leading causes of death among women; HIV was the single most important cause of death among men.

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Footnotes:

1. Joseph J. Piccione and Robert A. Scholle, “Combating Illegitimacy and Counseling Teen Abstinence: A Key Component of Welfare Reform” August 31, 1995

www.heritage.org > ISSUES > Sex Education & Abstinence

2. Robert E. Rector, Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., and Lauren R. Noyes,

“Sexually Active Teenagers Are More Likely to Be Depressed and to Attempt Suicide” June 3, 2003

www.heritage.org > ISSUES > Sex Education and Abstinence

3. ibid.

4. Robert Rector and Kirk A. Johnson, Ph.D., “Teenage Sexual Abstinence and Academic Achievement” October 27, 2005

www.heritage.org > ISSUES > Sex Education and Abstinence

5. Thomas Strahan, J.D., “Studies Suggesting That Induced Abortion May Increase the Feminization of Poverty” Summer 1995

www.fnsa.org > On-Line Journals > Volume One, Number Three – Summer 1995

6. Ebrahim SH, McKenna MT, Marks JS. Sexual behaviour: related adverse health burden in the United States. Sex Transm Infect 2005;81:38-40.