Focus on preventing unwanted pregnancies, not insults

While the government has recently made it clear that it has no mandate to start a debate on abortion, with Prime Minister Muscat also telling the Council of Europe that there was no public support on the matter either, the prolife and pro-choice camps are still waging a bitter war over the divisive issue. Over the past few weeks and months, we have witnessed, particularly on the comment boards and on the social media, barrages of insults being hurled by both sides at each other.

For example, one of this media house’s contributor is regularly subjected to insults and all sorts of name calling just because she shares her pro-choice views.

Speaking in general, the insults from both camps have intensified over the past couple of years, possibly as a result of the recent introduction of the Morning After Pill and other civil liberties.

Whatever the reason, the spewing of vitriol online should stop. We believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and everyone’s views should be respected.

The practice of demonising people from both sides of the divide is counterproductive and does not make for a healthy and mature discussion. Shutting down any form of debate on the issue of abortion is also counter-productive.

As with all other major issues, there should

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be a civilised and informed debate. If society decides that this is an issue that is unhealthy to it then the idea will inevitably be scrapped. For the time being, this seems to be the case.

But the fact that there is no appetite, at least among politicians, to delve into the issue of abortion, does not mean that the country should not look closer at one of the main factors leading to the abortion dilemma: unwanted pregnancies.

We feel that this country still has a lot of progress to make when it comes to sex education and access to contraception – two concepts that are still something of a taboo.

We have to face the facts and embrace reality. Teens will have sex, and some of them will get pregnant. More often than not, this happens because the people involved are either not fully aware of the risks and consequences, or because they do not have proper access to contraception, and by access we do not just mean that the products are available at a pharmacy or supermarket.

The truth is that many youths do not feel comfortable buying condoms and other forms of contraception, mostly because of the way society looks at the issue. Remember, this is a country where a condom vending machine at university caused a storm, and where the introduction of MAP was considered akin to baby murder.

While sex education in schools has changed a lot over the last decade or so, this information is worthless if our youths feel judged and embarrassed when attempting to acquire contraception. There are many ways to go about reducing unwanted pregnancies in Malta, and various statistics showing the rise of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the country is a testament to the work that still needs to be done.

So, instead of spending their free time typing away and firing broadsides with their keyboards, why don’t the two opposing camps unite in lobbying for better sex education? Why not spend time educating young women that any pressure coming from a man not to use contraception, because ‘it doesn’t feel as good’ is completely unacceptable?

Why not lobby for better and easier access to contraception for teens? Why not work for subsidisation of some of the more expensive forms of contraception, so that there is no discrimination based on living standard?

The bottom line is this: whether you are against abortion, or in favour of providing women access to abortion, there is no need to insult, degrade, dehumanise or belittle anybody with a different opinion to yours. A lot of work can be done to reduce unwanted pregnancies, so why don’t we all focus on that instead?