Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I went back and found the thread about birth control - your post is gone but I gather you posted statistics about the dangers of birth control. I also found the thread about abortion where you posted your source and got dinged for bias.

The sad fact is that these days there seems to be at least one scientific study to back up any belief anyone wants to hold on any subject you can think of. A group that is strongly pro or anti *anything* is going to cite studies and statistics that back its position and ignore, downplay, or demonize studies and statistics that seem to support the opposition's position. If you want to cite scientific studies and statistics, you really need to use peer-reviewed work from recognized scientific journals, not those that are showcased on an advocacy site. If you can't find those kinds of studies then you need to make a darn good case for why they can't be found and why the studies you're citing should still be paid attention to.

The other problem with citing statistics and studies is that it leads to data wars. You cite your study, someone else cites her study, and you're off and running. And to what purpose? You believe what you believe, she believes what she believes. Neither of you is going to convince the other. And none of it has anything to do with IBS.

In the case of hot-button topics, I think it's more appropriate to express a personal conviction like "For both religious and medical reasons, I'm uncomfortable with how casual people are about taking birth control . Please do some research and talk to your doctor about the possible risks." You've made your point and given fair warning about something you perceive as dangerous without inviting everyone to a "my data is better than your data" brouhaha and without getting people frothing at the mouth.

Finally, you say "I don't post false statements". You don't post statements you believe are false. That doesn't mean other people will agree those statements are true. And, again, it is that inability to even agree on what is a "fact" much less what those facts mean that makes discussion of these hot-button topics on these Boards a pointless exercise.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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