Or Maybe They Just Want to Have Kids

On its front page, The Washington Post bemoans a social disaster: fewer women are using birth control. Yegads, what a tragedy! As I read the article, I kept looking for the paragraph that said, "women who were trying to become pregnant were not included in this study" or, "of the 7 percent not using birth control, half indicated they were trying to become pregnant". Nothing. Finally, on the second page, they ask an expert if it might just be a reflection of different childbearing preferences. He said, "Nahh".

The experts' allegation that lack of insurance and the cost of birth control is driving up the number au naturel encounters may be true; it should not be presented as fact by the Post. The fact that contraception use is rising among teenagers, who can be assumed to not want children, would indicate that sex ed is working. Assuredly, there must be some data that would have given an indication of pregnancy intent. For instance, did the rise in non-use occur mainly among single or married women? Did these women abort their pregnancies? Both the scholars and journalists here are being irresponsible about reporting what was originally scientific data.