What is the evidence that the sexual revolution was a failure?

[upbeatjonm]

Does anyone know any studies that have shown the ill effects in society caused by the sexual revolution, and legalized abortion? I would love to have some stats to discuss with my children, who sometimes think the sexual revolution was a good thing.

 

[The_Prodigal]

The falling fertility rate.

bsos.umd.edu/socy/vanneman/socy441/trends/fert.html

The rising divorce rate.

bsos.umd.edu/socy/vanneman/socy441/trends/divorce.html

 

[LilyM]

There must also be stats out there somewhere on any rise in STIs and teen pregnancies over the last few decades as well - and increases in cancer rates that are attributable to use of birth control.

 

[puzzleannie]

Humanae Vitae was Right, by Janet Smith, does a good job of pointing out how prophetic this papal letter was and how precisely what he warned about has come to pass

 

[Red_Meg]

I’m not positive, it’s been a few years since I read it, but I believe Jennifer Roback Morse’s book Smart Sex: Finding Life-long Love in a Hookup World (ignore the provocative title, the book is not racy!) contains a lot of hard data, coupled with her analysis.

Morse is an orthodox practicing Catholic, a Libertarian politically, and an economist by training, so she comes at this stuff from a pretty different perspective. It’s good to lend out to people who are not coming from our point of view, because she doesn’t assume the reader already agrees that chastity/fidelity/monogamy/etc is a good thing…

I apologize, but my only fuzzy point is the amount and range of data she discusses. I think it’s quite substantial, but perhaps you can get it from a library first before buying it to verify?? It’s worthwhile reading anyway, regardless of the data…

Best,

Margaret

 

[blessedtoo]

There must also be stats out there somewhere on any rise in STIs and teen pregnancies over the last few decades as well - and increases in cancer rates that are attributable to use of birth control.

leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/epid-std.html

Prior to 1960, there were only two significant sexually transmitted diseases: syphilis and gonorrhea. Both were easily treatable with antibiotics. In the sixties and seventies this relatively stable situation began to change. For example, in 1976, chlamydia first appeared in increasing numbers in the United States. Chlamydia, particularly dangerous to women, is now the most common STD in the country. Then in 1981, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus which causes AIDS, was identified. By early 1993, between 1 and 2 million Americans were infected with AIDS, over 12 million were infected worldwide, and over 160,000 had died in the U.S. alone. Over 10% of the total U.S. population, 30 million people, are infected with herpes.

 

[upbeatjonm]

Humanae Vitae was Right, by Janet Smith, does a good job of pointing out how prophetic this papal letter was and how precisely what he warned about has come to pass

Thanks. I looked it up on Amazon, and it looks good. However, if someone has a more secular study, that would also be beneficial. I hear the apologists quoting statistics alot, and I just want to find that in writing somewhere.

 

[blessedtoo]

Thanks. I looked it up on Amazon, and it looks good. However, if someone has a more secular study, that would also be beneficial. I hear the apologists quoting statistics alot, and I just want to find that in writing somewhere.

A dependable site would be the CDC. It might take a bit of digging on their website to find the stats from the late 60’s and early 70’s, but they are there!

Also, the link I provided has their source listed within the article. It is an unbiased source.

 

[JimG]

I didn’t look up the data, but try this: Compare the following items before 1965 and from 1965 to present:

Out of wedlock births.
Teen pregnancies.
STD rates.
HPV rates
Divorce rates.
Cohabitation rates.
Sex crimes.
Porn use.
Teen suicide.
Single parent homes.

None of the above are good for society, and I can tell just from having lived through it that it’s all gotten worse since 1965.