Let’s Talk About Sex

Spring has officially sprung (on the calendar, anyways) and everyone is breaking out the summer footwear. The Conservative government seems particularly fond of flip-flops. Sure, it is sometimes annoying when the government gets citizens all riled up with its decisions, only to back down soon after. But sometimes flip-flopping can be good, if it is made in response to public concerns. The federal government threatened to change the lyrics to our national anthem, then promised to leave it alone after the majority of citizens freaked out. The provincial government presented proposed cuts to foster-care funding, then reversed its decision a week later after facing heat from the Alberta NDP. Government flip-flops can be great, if for no other reason than it sparks debate. One of the government’s more controversial flip-flops is Harper’s recent decision to include condoms as a part of the government’s G8 plan to organize health care resources for mothers and children in the developing world. Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon announced last week that “family planning” wouldn’t be a part of the initiative. Cannon was contradicted two days later when Harper announced that contraceptive devices would be an option in his G8 presentation this June. Harper made a smart choice by allowing condoms to be a part of his G8 health care plan. Harper’s decision also opened the doors for something that is rare and necessary – an open-minded debate about contraceptives that results in more information being available to youth.

Chronicle Herald columnist Lezlie Lowe recently wrote about Harper’s decision to keep condoms as part of the criteria of his maternal health plan. Lowe wrote that while condoms do need to be a part of Harper’s plan to help underdeveloped countries with their family planning, the plan is “not good enough.” Lowe also wrote about the lack of sexual health advice she received in junior high school and how she contracted the sexually transmitted infection HPV (also known as human papillomavirus) before she was old enough to drive. Lowe is now coming under fire from many of the Chronicle Herald’s readers for her candid honesty. These readers’ antiquated view of condoms and responsible sex is a huge part of the reason that so many young adults do contract sexually transmitted infections (yes, they are called “infections,” not “diseases” now, so brush up on your lingo). Sex is a part of human nature (go ask your parents, they should know). Wanting to know more about contraceptives, sexual intercourse and ways to prevent sexually transmitted infections does not make anyone a “slut,” nor does it mean they will have sex as soon as they know condoms exist.

Of course, many people do not use condoms or other forms of birth control because of their religious beliefs. That’s fine. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. However, people do not have the right to shove their own belief systems onto others. Some people believe that using birth control makes a woman “anti-family,” or “anti-life,” as Lowe has been called for her honest portrayal of her sex life. I’ve met Lowe; she is neither. Lowe teaches a course at my alma mater in Halifax. I never had Lowe as a professor but she did spend an afternoon speaking to my narrative non-fiction class. During this time, she never once promoted condoms, promiscuous sex or being a family-hating devil. She did, however, mention her kids. She loves them enough to schedule a hectic journalism and teaching career around them. Lowe has the right to her opinion. In fact, as a columnist, it is her job to have an opinion, just like it is my job to have an opinion on this page.

I’m not going to tell people what to do when it comes to birth control, as much as I want to. I believe in freedom and individual choices. But I also believe in living an informed life. Pretending condoms don’t exist will not prevent teenage or premarital sex. Teenagers (and pre-teens) need to know about more than just the birds and the bees. Teenagers need to know about birth control options, how sexually transmitted infections are passed between sexual partners and how easy it is to prevent sexually transmitted infections. Not informing kids about these things won’t stop pregnancy and it won’t stop sexually transmitted infections. Ignorance about sex and contraceptives is not a sure-fire way to stop kids from having premarital sex. Ignorance is a sure-fire way to ensure that people will make uniformed decisions that can have life-long consequences.