Taboo subject

THERE is one topic that strangely receives little exposure in this country, and for that matter anywhere else. Why is it that birth control seems to be a taboo subject that is hardly mentioned, never mind debated by politicians, religious groups, business leaders or the media?

How a country with a broken education system is supposed to prepare the youth for assimilation into the workforce is a question that does not appear to engage the attention of those responsible. Even if they were able to do this, the growth rate of the population and lack of meaningful jobs make it a lost cause.

The obvious solution is to control the birth rate. However, the government’s answer is to encourage young women to have unwanted children in order to benefit from social grants. This is highly irresponsible.

I believe the silence on this issue is that it is considered politically incorrect and not good for business or anything else. Politicians and religious leaders don’t have the guts or the integrity to engage with a subject that for some reason is best left alone. Big business needs more consumers so there is no incentive for them to say anything.

It is a disgrace that nothing is said or done about the birth of unwanted children by schoolgirls, some barely in their teens. Not only have they compromised their future, but what about their children?

It’s a vicious cycle that keeps on perpetuating. Brian van der Vijver Cape Town