As Columbo Says, “Oh . . . And One Last Thing”

Archpundit should be back today, but I hope he’ll indulge me in one last post, especially on an issue that really burns me up.

For those of us who have progressive or liberal views on social issues, it’s no secret that the cultural right lies. It doesn’t matter whether the discussion is about evolution, homosexuality, women’s rights: the Right simply refuses to accept the world as it is, relying instead on their version of reality.

Here’s yet another example:

In a groundbreaking study that could influence the debate over sex education, researchers have found that consistent use of condoms significantly reduces the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer.

University of Washington researchers will report Thursday that female college students were 70 percent less likely to become infected with human papillomavirus, or HPV, if their partners always wore a condom during sex than those whose partners used condoms less than 5 percent of the time.

For many years now, pro-life-anti-sex fanatics have attacked comprehensive sex ed programs by arguing that condoms are ineffective against sexually transmitted infections. Their only basis for this argument was that HPV — Human Papilloma Virus — is transmitted skin-to-skin, and thus condoms do not prevent transmission. In fact, some conservative congressmen pressured the FDA to require warning labels on condoms.

Well, they were wrong.

In the meantime, how much damage did their scare campaign do? How many kids were taught that condoms were ineffective? How many kids believe this and stop using condoms, when they clearly prevent the transmission of disease, including HPV?

There’s a cost to the war on truth waged by the Right. And I think that young people are paying the highest price.