Since all my comments so far have sounded like I oppose giving out contraceptives (since I am very much a proponent of moral living), let me clarify. I think it is great to help lift people out of poverty. Since there is a trend among poor teenagers to have more unplanned pregnancies it makes sense to address that problem, and this is one possible step.
I do not think it should replace teaching abstinence. But I also don't think that teaching abstinence using scare tactics in school is all that effective. Religious and moral teachings are much more so. So it still comes down to the responsibility of parents to teach their children correct life principles.
Let the government give free contraceptives to at-risk populations. But also encourage parents to teach good morals.
I've heard that unwanted pregnancies are more frequent in the "wait till married" crowd. That is because they are unlikely to have condoms with them when their emotions overwhelm them. They don't account for their changed decision making process when aroused. (Source: Dan Ariely's Irrationality MOOC).
That's what I've seen from personal experience. Thinking along the lines of: Birth control's for sluts, and I'm not like that, so I don't need that, this is special, etc.
Just so I can have another data point in my anecdote web. May I ask you if you mean 'abstinence till marriage', if you abstained till marriage and at what age you got married.
I do not think it should replace teaching abstinence. But I also don't think that teaching abstinence using scare tactics in school is all that effective. Religious and moral teachings are much more so. So it still comes down to the responsibility of parents to teach their children correct life principles.
Let the government give free contraceptives to at-risk populations. But also encourage parents to teach good morals.