Re: Suggesting birth control to starving Africans against their human rights?

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
 "Mark Richardson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> "REP" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
> >  "Mark Richardson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > > Counselling is not going to work. Something more effective, in terms of
> the
> > > culture of the people, is what is required. Right now, there does not
> appear
> > > to be any appreciation of "cause and effect". People know that having
> sex
> > > can result in having children, but that does not seem to register at the
> > > moment critique.
> >
> > When women are given birth control and told how to use it, they do so
> > and have smaller families. Many African women are not in a position to
> > refuse sex (or to do it and live), so birth control that does not rely
> > on the husband (like condoms) would be a terrific first step. Once women
> > are able to control their fertility, they are better able to become
> > economically independent. General education for women is another thing
> > that lowers fertility rates, and I can't see any downside to that.
> >
> > I am no expert, but everything I have read on the subject says that
> > readily available contraceptives for women would not only be more
> > effective than involuntary sterilization, it avoids the ethical quandry.
> > Of course, voluntary sterilization should be readily available to anyone
> > who wants it.
> 
> 
> Define "given birth control". Is this a reference to depo provera?

The articles I read were about The Pill. Depo might present problems, 
since it can cause amenorrhea, which might be difficult for women trying 
to hide their contraceptive use.

> In fact, making sure that every "at risk" female had access to a method of
> birth control will be as difficult as making sure that every HIV positive
> woman has access to ARVs. 

Difficult does not mean not worth doing.

> There is an obvious ethical question to be raised in regard to involuntary
> sterilization, but what about the ethical question of bearing children when
> there are no means to support them?

I can't think of a culture where women relish seeing their children die. 
Putting contraceptives into the hands of women, along with education, 
are two of the surest way to regulate fertility without coercion.

-- 
"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." 
- Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather