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Connections: Is Abstinence-only Education Still Working?

Longtime critics of abstinence-only education have been celebrating two prominent headlines this week. First there was the story of abstinence advocate Bristol Palin getting pregnant for a second time. Then there was the news out of Colorado that subsidized long-acting contraception for low-income women appears to have had a strong impact on the rate of unplanned pregnancies. Advocates for abstinence-based approaches still claim success, and they're still winning government funding. So, what works? What do the numbers say? What should our tax dollars support? Our guests:

  • Suzanne Stack, life issues coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
  • Thomas Lickona, a developmental psychologist and a SUNY Cortland professor who wrote a book titled Sex, Love and You
  • Dr. Katherine Greenberg, assistant professor of adolescent medicine at UR Medicine's Golisano Children's Hospital
  • Kim Urbach, director of the Health Center at East High School

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.