Sex won’t go away

WITH so much in modern life revolving around the promotion of sex, getting young people to be less promiscuous is an uphill battle. This, presumably, is why the authorities are encouraging pubs, bars and clubs in Bangkok to install contraceptive vending machines on their premises. It is an acknowledgement that youngsters will follow their instincts, and influences, no matter what their parents and elders say otherwise.

Parents may not like their children having such easy access to these products, but it is surely far better than the kind of alternative cycle of events that bedevils many upcountry areas, where young girls get pregnant, their boyfriends don’t want or can’t afford the financial responsibility of fatherhood, and a child is doomed to be brought up by a single and usually impoverished mother or grandparents.

If the government really wants to promote family life and values, contraception should be free and widely available in every corner of the land.