Stephann
Posts: 4214
Joined: 12/27/2006
From: Portland, OR
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Wildfleurs
Before we go any farther I do think its important for me to add that I absolutely think that people should be able to make informed decisions based on what works best for them. My involvement in this thread is just because I do find it disconcerting to have the belief that statistics substantiate that its safer to drive a car than have unprotected sex. I have a background in statistics so it’s not to hard for me to know where to get the numbers. And I was curious about this issue of injuries versus fatalities and so I took a look at the number of non-fatal injurous STDs contracted with the number of non-fatal injurous car accidents. Apparently your chances of contracting a non-fatal STD is pretty damn high as compared to your chances of getting injured in a car accident even if you include non-motorists. So, taking your chances with a car is still the safer bet whether we are talking death or injury.
Total number of motorists and non-motorists injured in car accidents in America in 2005: 2,699,000 *
Total number of STD's diagnosed in America 2005 (Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphillis, Genital Herpes, Genital Warts, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, and Human Papilomavirus): 8,323,762 **
The actual breakdown per STD is:
- 976,445 – chlamydia diagnoses
- 339,593 - Gonorrhea
- 8,724 – syphilis
- Genital Herpes – 266,000
- Genital Warts - 357,000
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease - 176,000
- Human Papillomavirus (hpv) – 6.2 million
* NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts: July 2007
** http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/Stats_Trends/Stats_and_Trends.htm
As I said, this could get pedantic.
First off, most genital HPV have no symptoms. Not so with serious car injuries. Yanking the 6.2 million HPV cases, and you have a substantially different number.
The point of my post isn't to suggest that unprotected sex is somehow 'safe' and that cars are not. It's to state that there is risk inherent in every activity we engage in; being aware of those risks, and making informed choices is what I consider to be the most important thing. I fully intend to go skydiving one day, knowing it might kill me. I also plan to drink 2-3 glasses of beer each night until I die, knowing that it will statistically shave a few years off the end of my life, and drastically (5-6 times?) increase my chances of certain types of cancer.
Most of us don't really consider the risks that we take daily, as our daily lives require we take risks. We're more likely to be hit by a car crossing the street than walking on a sidewalk; yet we still cross streets. We're more likely to be robbed when we are not home during the holidays, yet we still take vacations. It's new risk that causes us to be afraid most; people who kept their children home from school in Virginia, during the weeks the sniper was knocking off random people, for example.
In short, I think hysteria over the fear of risk carries it's own risks as well. In refusing to cross the street one moment, out of fear, you could very well be putting yourself more in danger; since the car that might have run you over was hung up at the last red light 2 minutes ago.
In short, do what you will, so long as you know what you're risking when you do it.
Stephan
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