Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-crg!lll-lcc!styx!mcb
From: mcb@styx.UUCP (Michael C. Berch)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,net.legal,net.singles
Subject: Re: Attorney General's Commission on Pornography
Message-ID: <20849@styx.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Sep-86 14:12:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: styx.20849
Posted: Thu Sep 11 14:12:47 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Sep-86 21:46:17 EDT
References: <1487@mtx5a.UUCP> <1233@princeton.UUCP> <897@usl.UUCP> <1518@mtx5a.UUCP>
Reply-To: mcb@styx.UUCP (Michael C. Berch)
Distribution: net
Organization: Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Livermore CA
Lines: 36
Summary: Rationale for sex education?
Xref: mnetor talk.politics.misc:36 net.legal:3510 net.singles:10191

In article <1518@mtx5a.UUCP> mat@mtx5a.UUCP (m.terribile) writes:
> . . .
> Note the claim:
> 
> 	people who do such things are more prone, per individual, to sexually
> 	transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy and more likely to bring
> 	about illegitimacy or abortion.
> 
> Now you may take issue with these claims, but if you do you are taking issue
> with the whole rationale for compulsatory sex education in the schools.  You
> are also taking issue with the claims of the people who manufacture foams and
> condoms.

Huh? I don't know what your rationale for sex education is, but mine
is simply that understanding sex is important to human development and
education, and is a subject that should be part of the curriculum,
just like math, English, geography, and science... Sex education 
certainly helps lessen the incidence of STDs and unwanted pregnancy
(the latter assumes that contraception is taught), but is no more 
"the whole rationale" for its inclusion than "keeping up with the
Soviets" is for science education. 

> In this instance the burden of proof is on those who dispute the statement;
> the claim is one that we now act on as well-established.

No, the burden of proof remains on the proponent, Dr. Dietz. Nowhere
in his statement does he attempt to support it. Actually, the
incidence of STDs (certainly untreated STDs) and unwanted pregnancy in
the pornography industry is quite low in both real terms and adjusted
for the rate of sexual conduct. This is rather obvious; sex actors and
actresses are VERY AWARE of STDs, how to prevent and treat them, and
how to prevent/terminate pregnancy. It's their life and livelihood.

Michael C. Berch
ARPA: mcb@lll-tis-b.ARPA
UUCP: {ihnp4,dual,sun}!lll-lcc!styx!mcb