teen pregnancy

[Autodidact]

New data on teen pregnancy rates in the U.S.

With the exception of Utah, the pattern is: the more religious, the more teen pregnancy. Also, abstinence education = more teen pregnancy. Comprehensive sex ed + less religiosity = less teen pregnancy.

Comments?

 

[Engyo]

There you go again, gettin' all scientifical and statistical, and drawin' all the wrong conclusions!

You know this really means the Debbil is workin' extry hard in them God-fearin' states!
[/sarcasm]

 

[Autodidact]

For comparison purposes, states by religiosity:

The correlation is amazing.

 

[Autodidact]

It would be interesting to look at some other Bad Things, like crime rates, life expectancy, etc.

 

[Autodidact]

Here's one they're calling "quality of life" or "human development" whatever that is.

Whatever it is, I'm guessing it's a good thing, and less religious states seem to have more of it.

 

[Autodidact]

Life expectancy:

This is amazing.

Does religion cause bad stuff, or does bad stuff cause religion?

 

[Meow Mix]

Correlation doesn't always imply causation depending on the counterfactuals, though... for instance poverty is often correlated with higher religiosity too, but is it religiosity that causes poverty or are people in poverty more desperate and undereducated and therefore more gullible to religion?

Regardless, the correlation is definitely there regardless of whether it's causal or not, and it sure is interesting to note.

I posted elsewhere on this forum (don't remember where) a similar correlation except with the whole world.

Edit: Seems you posed the "correlation/causation" question just before I finished posting

 

[Quiddity]

The interesting thing is that many of the states in green are catholic. Why is that relevant? Well, they are known for being anti-contraceptives and being much more uptight about sex then protestants. Protestants do use and encourage condom use.

 

[Autodidact]

Again, the Mormons do as well as the atheists.

 

[Quiddity]

Here's one they're calling "quality of life" or "human development" whatever that is.

Whatever it is, I'm guessing it's a good thing, and less religious states seem to have more of it.

California is fairly religious, just not of the conservative brand.

 

[Engyo]

Life expectancy:

This is amazing.

Does religion cause bad stuff, or does bad stuff cause religion?

Looking at the numbers for DC, you could infer that national government is hazardous to your health!

 

[MW0082]

Correlation doesn't always imply causation depending on the counterfactuals, though... for instance poverty is often correlated with higher religiosity too, but is it religiosity that causes poverty or are people in poverty more desperate and undereducated and therefore more gullible to religion?

Regardless, the correlation is definitely there regardless of whether it's causal or not, and it sure is interesting to note.

I posted elsewhere on this forum (don't remember where) a similar correlation except with the whole world.

Edit: Seems you posed the "correlation/causation" question just before I finished posting

That certaintly is amazing, and it does not surprise me. It seems the more you try to scare someone from doing something (mainly youth) the more likely they are to do it...... What I have been saying forever now. thanks so much for this!!!!

 

[Autodidact]

The interesting thing is that many of the states in green are catholic. Why is that relevant? Well, they are known for being anti-contraceptives and being much more uptight about sex then protestants. Protestants do use and encourage condom use.

Catholicism seems to correlate with less religiosity in general. The more religious states are also more Protestant.

 

[Quiddity]

Catholicism seems to correlate with less religiosity in general. The more religious states are also more Protestant.

That makes sense. However, you would think that catholic regions would have more teen pregnancy if contraceptives and education was at the heart of the issue. Since we do not promote contraceptives and do promote the education aspect (not the same though). Protestants on the other hand do promote contraceptives and are having more teen preganancy.

 

[Autodidact]

One confounding factor is that Catholic women have more abortions than Protestant women.

The abortion rate for Catholic women was 22 per 1,000 women; the rate for Protestants was 18 per 1,000 women, according to study author Rachel K. Jones. [Guttmacher Institute 2000-2001]

 

[tomato1236]

Again, the Mormons do as well as the atheists.

Weird. Utah is the exception. Long life-expectancy, important religion, decent quality of living, lower-than-average teen pregnancy. Stinking mormons.

 

[Autodidact]

I think one thing that goes on with Mormons is that they live a healthier life, because they don't drink or smoke.

In general, and I don't know why this is, but it seems like Mormons are less hypocritical, and have a higher "compliance rate" with their religious beliefs.

I don't think we've yet seen a Mormon spokesperson blasting gay rights and then getting busted having sex with a man-whore.

I don't know why this is.

 

[Autodidact]

Weird. Utah is the exception. Long life-expectancy, important religion, decent quality of living, lower-than-average teen pregnancy. Stinking mormons.

Yes, on all the maps, Utah is the same color as the less religious states. Interesting.

 

[tomato1236]

I think one thing that goes on with Mormons is that they live a healthier life, because they don't drink or smoke.

In general, and I don't know why this is, but it seems like Mormons are less hypocritical, and have a higher "compliance rate" with their religious beliefs.

I don't think we've yet seen a Mormon spokesperson blasting gay rights and then getting busted having sex with a man-whore.

I don't know why this is.

That would be funny.

 

[tomato1236]

Yes, on all the maps, Utah is the same color as the less religious states. Interesting.

Maybe it's because we're less religious than Catholics and Protestants.