Why is it that Canadians have such an evolved take on sexuality and are so much less taboo driven and abstinence promoting? Not that there's anything wrong with abstinence, but let's get real here -- people are still having sex and will keep having sex at younger and younger ages, especially in this climate of sensationalized sexuality focused on the follies and foibles of youth.
When the Canadian government opted to make Plan B available to women over the counter, I once again gave thanks for the fact that my son is Canadian by birthright. Oh to be part of a culture which puts things into rational rather than religious perspective and shirks the dogma of should in favor of good health and justice for all. Not that I don't love our United States, but sometimes the subtle misogyny and idiocy inherent to our policy making and prevalent attitudes makes my skin crawl!
Giving young girls the option of exercising their option to have an abortion if they'd like, of preventing the parental consent laws from ever entering into legislature again, of promoting all birth prevention methods including non-hormonal IUD's (which are probably the safest, but least use method of birth control around) -- this makes sense to me.
On the other hand, Dr. Scott Leeth's opinion that "abstinence is freedom -- from disease, unplanned pregnancy, guilty, broken hearts," makes my skin crawl. Really, doc? Your heart can't get broken if you're not having intercourse!? Are you kidding me? This is ludicrous, passe, outdated, patriarchal and bogus.
We live in a highly sexual, visual, propagandized and stimulated culture. We cannot avoid the factual evidence that abstinence only education and outlook are ineffective, ill-informed and actually create a situation in which free-flowing sexual communication is relegated to the outskirts and underbelly when light needs to be shed on important topics of safety, responsibility and repercussions.
We need to give each individual the respect, honor and information to make informed choices about what they would like to do with their bodies, to help them be accountable for their own outcomes and to promote conversations and safe forums to handle the fall out when things go awry as they sometimes will.
Wasting time, energy and judgment on a contentious issue which ultimately points to efforts at one human or governmental agency knowing what's best for other human beings is simply immoral. Why shouldn't we all exist within a climate of freedom, personal choice and autonomy? Why shouldn't we receive the information and education to prevent pregnancy in the most sensible way? Why aren't IUD's and Plan B made readily available to women in this country?
It's a matter of politics, pharma and money, and placing higher value on these issues than on the sanctity of an existing life is as hypocritical as a puritanical establishment can get if you ask me!