They Say They Don't Believe In Marriage.

Inspite of being conservative societies...these issues are happening in India and China too. Only difference being....the life of the girl and the child becomes hell....provided they survive.

 

The problems in third-world countries are common to first-world also is what I was trying to convey. I agree they are dealt with differently.

 

It can be argued that it has.

The rates of birth outside marriage in India are among the lowest in the world, even though rates of co-habitation are not. I actually think that rates of Indian female foeticide within a marriage, simply for being female in a society where male children are valued more, are higher than rates of abortion due to illegitimacy. (I don't have data for this. I should look. I will when I have time). Teen pregnancy stats are somewhat different and in the case of India, harder to establish, because arranged, socially permitted teen marriages, although illegal, are a confounding factor.

Among developed countries, Scandinavian countries have low teen pregnancy rates, however, some of them simultaneously have higher teen abortion rates.

"illegitimacy" need not necessarily be an issue. If one were to focus on the title of this thread "They say they don't believe in marriage" then Latin American countries and Scandinavian countries stand out, with greater than 55% of births occurring out of wedlock. However there is a dramatic difference between these countries in terms of the demographics, social cohesion, economics and the social safety net provided by the welfare state. In Sweden for example, marriage rates are high, even though the number of births out-of-wedlock are among the highest. Marriage and child-bearing have been uncoupled.

One could go on, but you get the drift. Interpreting statistics in the interests of implementing effective social policy is quite difficult!

As for educating teens, yes, that needs to continue to be a pillar of policy and more effective ways need to be found. I used to work for a telephone hotline. In spite of universal, mandatory education, let me assure you that kids remain as ignorant about solving for (se)x as they are about the algebra of the maths kind!

 

This is a great source of misery and possibly the source of suicide, back-alley abortions, abandoned babies and the like. Notions of virginal purity, sex as defilement and women as the seat of virtue and honor for the family drive a lot of the dysfunctional family and social dynamics. This needs to change.

 

No one in this world has the right to bring a child into this world if they are physically, mentally and financially incapable of taking care of the new life. I am not judging anyone what they do in their personal life but if you are bringing a child to this world make sure you can take care of the child.