To eliminate unwanted pregnancy shouldn't contraception be an opt out thing?

Question

I am not talking about getting permission to have a baby or anything like that. Let's say, from puberty all women have contraceptive implants and then they are replaced every 3 years (e.g. implanon). I would say equally for men but there is no similarly reliable product currently on the market, save for a vasectomy. Condoms would be freely available, like those guys who hand out free newspapers.

That way, the only people who would get pregnant are those who CHOOSE to actively remove the contraception or do not renew it after the 3 years are up. No more unwanted pregnancies, no more accidental babies, oh I don't know who the father is, Jerry springer situations.

It WOULD NOT BE COMPULSORY, so if for religious reasons or whatever you could opt out. In the way we are all vaccinated they should do this.

I stupidly got pregnant. I was a graduate, not a young girl but I guess I did not realise it was so EASY to get pregnant with people so vocal about being infirtile. My little one is the light of my life now but the timing was so wrong. I am not blaming anyone, or trying to abdicate responsibility but just suggesting that the default position should be that people do not just get pregnant without actively chosing that possibility.

Answer 1

I have thought about this so many times and my answer is YES. I think this would be a great idea. Also there needs to be more s*x education (obviously) just read questions on YA that younger kids have posted.

Answer 2

Well, the issue gets all tangled up with religious considerations, but you might read the book, Sacred Choices, by (as I recall) Dan McQuire. People who belong to many different religions think it's vey important to have no more children than you (and your partner) can take care of. There are many Catholics who defy the Pope and practice family planning. The problem with many Pro-Life people is that they also want to withhold birth control information. Safe, sane birth control is not abortion.

Answer 3

I'd go further...I would suggest it should be compulsory for people who can't afford to have a child to have contraception. Taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidise people who produce sprogs every other year and expect the country to pay for them.Child benefit should not be given for more than two children.That would stop the unemployed scroungers with 8+ kids having £35,000+ in benefits paid out of OUR taxes. Chavs, criminals etc should be sterilized...some people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.

Answer 4

well GEE!.. what ever happen to good old abstinance?.... JUST DONT MESS AROUND! and you'll not get pregnant.... simple answer...  

Answer 5

Funny but it makes sense in an Orwellian way.

Bit scary thought, though.  

Answer 6

In the United Kingdom contraception is free and condoms are easily available and I think this is wonderful, but no I don't think it should opt out.  Pumping EVERY woman's body full of hormones because of the mistakes of a few is a ridiculous idea.  What is needed is better s*x education and teachers who aren't scared to tell kids about their contraceptive choices.

Many people argue that if young people are given s*x education they will be more likely to have s*x but in fact this has been shown to be a false premise.

In The Netherlands they start s*x education at 12 and yet the average age for first sexual relationship is 17.7 and they have the lowest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe, only 8.4 per 1000.  

Answer 7

Hormonal contraceptives are not without their problems, so no, it should be for the woman to choose it.

Answer 8

Contraception is completely optional right now.  Anyone can go to a doctor and have it prescribed in their choice of forms.  There is the daily pill, the three month long shot, and longer lasting IUDs that can prevent pregnancy for up to 10 years.  People just won't pay for it, or don't want their parents to know they are having s*x.

The bigger problem is the lack of education about s*x and it's consequences, both physical and emotional.  We (as a society) think that those things will never happen to us.  We have unprotected s*x and don't think about things like pregnancy and STDs, because those bad things happen to other people.  

I wish more time and money was spent on educating young people about s*x, and more emphasis on abstinence instead of all this time and money spent on developing 'morning after' pills and the like that allow people to not accept responsibility for their actions.

Answer 9

With the Government and the NHS any new treatments it's all about money so they wouldn't try it out as it would be too expensive.

Also young girls may think of it as a Passport so sleep with their partners while underage or just generally sleep about.

STD's would rise without a doubt and again the treatment for these would cost more money so i doubt the Government would ever think of doing it.

It is a nice idea don't get me wrong but I just don't see how it could work. That's my opinion.