Madam, - It is disappointing, but not at all surprising, that Mary Harney's comments on pre-teen contraception have been so distorted and misinterpreted. In light of Mrs Breda Tobin's letter of July 28th I re-read The Irish Times of the previous day. Nowhere in it could I find evidence of Mary Harney encouraging 11-year-olds to have unprotected sex. Why is it that a non-judgmental acknowledgement of the existence of a situation is immediately interpreted as "encouraging" it?
The message of "chastity and abstinence" which Mrs Tobin craves is the only message that most Irish people have ever received about sex - and look where that has got us. I applaud Mary Harney for not taking the head-in-the-sand attitude to sex that has prevailed in Irish culture to date. For the record, I would also like to clarify that this does not mean that I in any way condone 11-year-olds having sex. - Yours, etc,
LOUISE MAGUIRE,
North Brunswick Street,
Dublin 7.
Madam, - Mary Harney's only crime in supporting emergency contraception for 11-year-olds is one of brutal honesty. It is shocking that someone so young could be engaged in sexual activity, but that has far more to do with broader cultural issues such as television and working pressures on families than with contraceptive availability.
Blaming contraceptive availability for sex is like blaming coffins for death. - Yours, etc,
JASON O'MAHONY,
Coppinger Glade,
Stillorgan,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - It makes me so sorrowful to read of Mary Harney's statement that the morning-after pill should be available to pre-teens in certain circumstances. Surely, by now it must be obvious to everyone that this approach has been an abject failure.
Here in Uganda both teenage pregnancy and Aids rates have been reduced by recognising that a culture change is what is needed. The young, in particular, are taking the message "ABC": Abstain, be faithful and only as a last resort, if self control is beyond you, use a condom. One school I know of has seen holiday pregnancy numbers fall from 10 to two.
The Straight Talk Foundation publishes supplements for primary and secondary school pupils, teachers and parents which deal very explicitly with the questions, the misconceptions, (no pun intended) and the ways in which teachers, parents and children can discuss these issues in a supportive atmosphere. School groups are started and discussions between boys' and girls' schools arranged. It works, and I so wish Ireland could lead Europe and give it a try. The Straight Talk website is http://www.straight-talk.or.ug. It is interesting that the foundation is supported in part by European money. - Yours, etc,
Dr PATRICK DAVEY,
Fort Portal,
Uganda.
Madam, - As in the past, when we feared the introduction of divorce would lead to an increase in marriage breakdown and the introduction of condom vending-machines would lead to an increase in sexual promiscuity, it now appears that the plan to make the morning-after pill available to children as young as 11 in certain circumstances "is sending a message to children that it's OK to have unprotected sex at 11" (Mrs Breda Tobin, July 28th).
As your Editorial of July 28th states, the number of sexually active 11-year-olds is (thankfully) likely to be very small. Indeed, I would wager that if a poll were taken of 11-year-olds seeking their reaction to the availability of the morning-after pill to their age group, the vast majority would be completely unaware of such a suggestion; many might even be unaware of the existence of the contraceptive at all.
The sad truth is that any 11-year-old who is determined to have unprotected, consensual sex will do so regardless of whether the morning-after pill is available or not.
While I agree wholeheartedly with Mrs Tobin's assertion regarding the promotion of chastity and abstinence to young children and teenagers, any parent will tell you that the more you forbid children to do something, the more likely they are to disobey you. It is inevitable that lectures on chastity and abstinence will go unheeded by some and, in those cases, there must be some contingency plan to support both parent and child.
More urgently, however, I believe we need to analyse how and why society (television and the print media, in particular) sends a message to children that it is acceptable to have sex at such a young age.
It is clear that the Minister is aware of multiple cases of emergency pregnancies in children as young as 11 and, as a result, feels the need may exist to introduce such a measure. Contrary to Mrs Tobin's assertion, it is perfectly obvious that the Minister is doing her job in protecting "the health and well-being of people in the State, especially the young and the vulnerable".
I applaud Mary Harney's refusal to bury her head in the sand in relation to this matter, and only wish others would be as brave and realistic when seeking to combat the perils facing our youth today. - Yours, etc,
STEPHEN BOYLAN,
Delwood Walk,
Castleknock,
Dublin 15.