Last week, an article appeared in a major English newspaper, written by a journalist concerned about the state of the Irish family. I found his premise a bit confounding.
As I talk about in my book, Ireland was oh so late in making birth control legal. Thanks to some brave souls, to include Bono, in 1990 the Irish government was finally dragged into the 20th century and condoms and other birth control was made legal...now days, try to find a pub that doesn't have a condom machine!
But the article I'm confused by blames the easy access to condoms and birth control pills for the increase in adolescent sex and teenage pregnancy, especially amongst the poor. They have no clue about parenting and are basically going the way of the English, with way too many young girls having babies they can't handle, going on the dole, and now creating a permanent underclass.
My question is: how can increased bc access lead to MORE pregnancies? Surely the whole issue, as usual, is about NOT providing the information, education, and needed limits (NO to welfare to 15 year olds who want to leave home and baby is the ticket out!!, for instance)...afterall, if that were happening, these kiddos would also be using condoms as a matter of course, not just as bc but to protect themselves from diseases.
Clearly, that's not happening in a growing segment of Irish society.
The Church still looms large in Ireland...is it possible that's why one hand giveth and the other taketh away?? Condoms condoms everywhere, but the whys, whens, and hows are not being taught in schools, on TV, on the radio. ..Irish youth is almost as ignorant now as it was 3
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