Benenson Strategy Group (BSG) conducted a quantitative online survey on 1,358 teens aged 13 to 17 and released new porn statistics in January 2024.
They found that 73% of teen respondents aged 13 to 17 have watched pornography online. 15% of teen respondents said they first saw online pornography at age 10 or younger. More than half (54%) reported first seeing pornography by the time they reached the age of 13. 63% said they have only seen pornography accidentally. Pornography plays a larger role in LGBTQ+ teens. Two-thirds of LGBTQ+ teen respondents consumed pornography intentionally.
Nearly half (45%) of teen respondents said that they felt online pornography gives “helpful” information about sex.
LIFEAlerts
Pornography and Its Impact on Adolescent/Teenage Sexuality (India)
Puberty – exposure to pornography accelerates sexual development and porn can function as a “role model” and provide normative counsel. Teenagers also interpret internet sex as real-world experiences.
Adolescence – pornography use links teenagers to early partnered sexual behaviour, more sexual partners, lower relationship satisfaction, and lower sexual satisfaction during adolescence. Pornography use also links them to aggressive behaviour in the classroom, sexually permissive attitudes and watching more hard corn porn containing rape and child sex. Exposure at a younger age makes individuals receptive to watching coercive or violent porn. Over time, adolescents experience embarrassment as a result of their interest in porn. This causes a decline in mental health and life satisfaction. Teenagers also experience an absence of emotional connection between consensual couples and boys are prone to display violent behaviour towards women.
National Council of the Order of Physicians and Non-Conventional Healthcare (France)
The French National Council of the Order of Physicians expresses concern over the rise of unconventional healthcare practices. In response to emerging issues, it has compiled a 88 pages report emphasizing the urgent need to address the dangers associated with these increasingly prevalent practices. Termed as “traditional,” “alternative,” or “complementary” medicine, they lack scientific recognition and are not part of physicians’ initial training. The Order is alarmed by the uncontrolled growth of these practices, attributing it to societal factors such as a strained healthcare system, societal distress, and distrust in healthcare professionals. The potential risks include illegal medical practices, therapeutic deviations, and sectarian concerns, posing a substantial public health issue.
Emergency Room Visits Increase with Increase Abortions (USA)
A longitudinal Cohort Study done from 1999 till 2015 shows that as abortions increase, so do the abortion-related Emergency Room (ER) visits, especially for chemical abortions. The study took data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 17 states that received state funding for abortions. Based on ICD9 codes (630-639, 634), all ER visits within 30 days after an abortion were analysed, including miscoded visits (e.g. classified as spontaneous abortion/miscarriage). From 1999 – 2015, surgical abortions increased by 560% (from 4479 to 29558), while chemical abortions increased by more than 4000% (from 352 in 2002 to 15279 in 2015). Abortion-related ER visits for surgical abortion increased by 315%, for chemical abortions it increased by 507%. ER visits within 30 days of a chemical abortion grew by more than 850%.
Maternal Mortality Rate (International)
Peru accepted a law that acknowledges that life starts at conception. Abortion is still allowed when the mother’s life is in danger, but each unborn child has the right to dignity, life, and integrity, just like any other person. According to Dr Calum Miller, the claim that these strict laws will cause more women to die from illegal abortions is not true. In 2017, a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Sage Open Medicine proved that a woman is 2-4 times as likely to die from any cause, and 6-7 times as likely to die from suicide within a year following abortion, compared to childbirth. Numerous sources show that after abortion restrictions, maternal mortality rates decrease (for example in Poland, Ireland and Chile), while in South Africa, the mortality rate increased after legalisation of abortion.
Cannabis Stock Market Failure (South Africa)
Labat Africa, the largest cannabis-focused company in South Africa, has been suspended from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The suspension, announced on October 24, 2023, was due to Labat’s failure to comply with JSE Listings Requirements by not publishing its financial statements. Labat’s shares were trading at 0.07 cents before the suspension. After its stock prices tanked by 70% last year, Labat has faced numerous challenges, including complicated financials, late financial statements, and warnings from the JSE.
Balancing risks and benefits of cannabis use: umbrella review of meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and observational studies (Canada)
A groundbreaking Canadian umbrella review spanning 2008 to 2022 examined 101 meta-analysis of cannabis studies, revealing associations with poor mental health, impaired cognition, increased motor vehicle accident risk, and potential harm to offspring during pregnancy. The umbrella review emphasises the avoidance of cannabis, particularly in neurodevelopmentally critical phases like adolescence. Given the onset of mental health disorders and the paramount role of cognition in academic performance during this period, caution is urged. Additionally, medical cannabis warrants scrutiny due to adverse effects, urging a careful risk-to-benefit evaluation before considering its incorporation.
The American College of Surgeons issues a warning on the adverse effects of cannabis on surgery (USA)
Their comprehensive statement delves into the following impact of cannabis:
Respiration: Cannabis affects the airways making it harder to place a breathing tube for anaesthesia.
Cardiac effects: Cannabis affects heart rate and blood pressure and has the potential to increase risks of a heart attack and/or stroke.
Pain management: Cannabis interferes with pain control and the amount of pain medication needed to provide relief following an operation, necessitating higher post-operative pain medication doses.
It is important for patients to be honest with their surgical team about using cannabis products. For more in-depth information, you can explore the full statement on the American College of Surgeons’ website
UN Bureaucrats Pick Fight with EU Parliament on Prostitution (USA)
A new UN report counters that “any forms of criminalization of prostitution, including criminalization of clients and ‘third parties’ related activities” ultimately harms prostitutes. Besides standing in opposition to the European Parliament, the UN report is out of step with the UN General Assembly’s own recommendations to fight trafficking, according to Marcel van der Watt, Director of the Research Institute at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. He said a 2022 resolution of the global body called on governments to clamp down on sex buying. The UN human rights report omits or ignores a “vast” body of research that proves this definitively, according to the South African researcher. He also found it odd that the UN report did not mention policies to help women escape prostitution or address the links between the pornography industry, prostitution, and sex trafficking in women and children. The EU Parliament draws connections between prostitution, trafficking, pornography, and violence against women. While it criticizes criminal penalties for prostitutes themselves, it casts legalized prostitution in a negative light citing Europol reports that show a tenfold increase in trafficking where prostitution is legal.
Pennsylvania nurse linked to 17 nursing home deaths (USA)
Heather Pressdee faces grave charges for killing 17 patients by administering excessive insulin doses. She targeted both diabetic and non-diabetic patients, often choosing overnight shifts to evade immediate hospitalization. The victims’ ages spanned from 43 to 104. Pennsylvania’s Attorney General, Michelle Henry, expressed profound dismay at a nurse betraying the trust of patients and underscored the paramount need for safety and care in medical facilities. Unreported murders may be occurring in care homes across Canada and the USA. Canada’s euthanasia law lacks adequate oversight, relying solely on the opinions of two medical professionals without robust checks. The substantial number of euthanasia-related deaths in Canada in 2022, totaling 13,241, raises concerns about the law’s oversight and implementation.