Republican leaders seem to lack a basic understanding of human biology and in particular women's health issues.
To address this problem, I would make a basic Bio 101 and Women's Health class mandatory for all politicians at the national level of both parties.
For this class, I'm not talking about anything complicated, such as the molecular studies going on in my lab on stem cells (read more about our stem cell research here or follow me on Twitter at pknoepfler ).
Rather, I mean the fairly straightforward things.
1. The basics of human reproduction.
2. What happens after fertilization during a pregnancy. Early on. In the middle. At the end.
3. How contraception works.
4. The facts about rape.
5. Health issues unique to women.
6. The basics of human development including the role of stem cells.
It seems that GOP leaders lack the knowledge of this basic bio stuff.
I'd be happy to teach this class for them.
Perhaps this way, they'll stop making dumb, embarrassing, even hateful comments that seem to have at least in part a component of a failed understanding of human biology?
Witness Rep. Akin's comments on abortion discussed here.
Of course, more crass observers might argue the GOP leaders knows this stuff, but don't like the facts of human biology.