Michael New sent me a helpful note about the latest, much-discussed study on free contraception:
Last week a study which appeared in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology had the mainstream media swooning. It purportedly found that providing no-cost contraception to women resulted in a dramatic decline in both teen birthrates and abortion rates. This study was covered by USA Today, CBS News, the Associated Press, and countless other media outlets
However, a closer look at the study reveals that there is a lot less than meets the eye. Specifically this study lacks an adequate control
group. It also uses an unorthodox data weighting mechanism. As such, it vastly overstates the effectiveness of this no-cost contraception program. Not surprisingly, the researchers also ignored the STD rate and other public health outcomes of women taking part in the study.I should also note that there is a substantial body of peer reviewed research which documents the ineffectiveness of various contraception programs. However, these studies typically receive scant attention from the mainstream media.
Michael dives into the statistical details over at National Review .
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
