The Uk government keeps trying to fiddle out ways to cut the every-climbing std and teen pregnancy rate, and frankly some of their "answers" make me wonder just how detached they really are from thier own society. Just this week, the suggestion was made that in certain areas - those that are deprived - free pregnancy tests be made available to young girls. That follows the move to make condoms available to girls under 15 - free of charge - at most chemist shops, over ruling the common wisdom that that is too young for girls to be given protection without education. Whatever! The question, for me, is why is there no move to integrate the many competing policies into a cohesive program meant to work toward education, access, and empowerment of teens and young adults regarding their own bodies, and the consequences - social, economic, psychological, etc. - of NOT doing "what's right."
Education has failed kiddos, regarding schooling on sex, stds, and all that goes with them...Government - national and local - has failed miserably, in not providing that education (instead of pretending to do so), in not integrating NHS policies (how about, babies are not "free"!!), educational policies, and welfare policies. How about: when the 15 year old is bored and has no sense of her own future, she will NO LONGER be GIVEN a "free" council flat and all that goes with it! HELLO! Not rocket science here!!Parents are the biggest failures, as the abdication of parenthood is almost complete, with parents dumping responsibility on the schools, police, etc., and simply not teaching the values that lead children to believe in themselves their futures, and to respect themselves, to include their own bodies.
Did you know? That 80% of the young men in Britain's borstals were born to teenaged mothers?? Did you know that the majority of these young offenders are also parents in their own right (remember, the age range is 17-21!)
And the beat goes on!!
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