Birth Control
Birth Control
As of June 19, 2013 according to the CDC, 41% of children are born to unwed mothers. I point to this statistic because I read an article today, entitled “Men’s Right to Choose: Opting out of Fatherhood with Financial Abortions” by Deborah Cooper from SurvivingDating.com. Two things were alarming to me from both the given statistic and the article by Ms. Cooper. First, it is becoming the social norm. Second, the corrective action to what is perceived to be an unwanted pregnancy is abortion. I have heard several arguments for and against abortion. I have heard different arguments regarding how a woman should or should not be the only person to decide whether or not to go forth with having a baby. Regardless of where anyone sits on the issue, it seems no one has a simple solution.
It has been cited that the only true form of birth control is abstinence, anything outside of that you are risking the results of a pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection (STI). I would love for everyone to wait before deciding to have sex; however, I am not naïve to believe that is the case. Therefore, how do we address the topic of birth control? Does it truly come down to knowing your options if something were to take place as a result of your actions? Should it become that way, because you did not think beyond the first night, that drastic times should cause for drastic measures? My philosophy, and I know people will disagree, is that if you are a willing participant, than you are to be willing to deal with the consequences of your actions. If you have not seen yourself as being a part of a person’s life for beyond that night, then instead of practicing the withdrawal method, you should practice," I am not going their method." I have heard this whole” in the heat of passion, and lust consuming.” That is all well and good, however, if and when that happens, should your first thought and action be the plan B? Or should it be, hey you know if you and I conceived a child, we are going to get married and co parent? I guess that would be expecting too much. We now are laid with this discussion of who should or should not be responsible for supporting a child when a father makes it known that he does not want to have a child. Or better a father who wants a child, the mother decides that she does not want to carry a child for a man that she is neither in love with, nor wants to be with beyond their physical interaction.
Casual sex is ruining the state of our world. We are positioning messages regarding safer sex, instead of no sex. We are saying that even if you have it, we have this way out method for you. There is life after HIV and an unwanted pregnancy. You can live with both, so do not worry about them. Just take a pill and go forth with living. I know it is not as simple as that, yet, that is the message I see each time I see a commercial or billboard stating you have options. No one really is having the necessary dialogue to truly make an informed decision. We are becoming a reactionary society. We know what you can do if something was to happen, but no one truly supports the concept of waiting. You have this desire to be an adult without accepting adult responsibilities. You have the desire to say, it’s my body, but want someone else to bail you out. Recognize one thing is for sure, there is a consequence for your action. Maybe the next time you think that you are prepared to have sex, you will think what else you are prepared to take on. Nothing is a simple solution, whether you are for or against.
Time to have an open dialogue and stop pushing propaganda.
Tactful Talk Tuesday with Taneka