Last week The Times reported the story of a woman of thirty who had waited several years for her GP to agree that she should be sterilised because she did not want to bring a child into this world.
Not only was she confronted by a stubborn refusal to carry out her wishes but she also faced the humiliation of being told, in effect, that she was incapable of making up her mind about this matter. This young woman simply wanted to avoid pregnancy without using contraception or adopting celibacy. Tellingly, she pointed out that, had she been a man, a vasectomy would have been provided immediately with little if any questioning.
Better her determined action, so much better than casual breeding that is not followed by the years of selfless care and devotion that effective parenting demands. Better her later regrets than misery for unwanted or neglected children. Adults have choices in these matters; children do not.
Share this: