Small drop in VAT on condoms no alternative to free contraception
national |
miscellaneous |
opinion/analysis 
Friday February 08, 2008 18:38
by Cian Prendiville - Socialist Youth & the Socialist Party
comradecianp at gmail dot com
086-8064801
In January’s Finance Bill VAT on condoms was lowered slightly from 21% to 13.5%. Any reduction should be welcomed, the crucial question is why, given the problems with STIs, is there VAT on condoms, or indeed why are they not free?
The VAT cut got some mixed reactions. As could be expected the Catholic Church were up in arms against it. The Union of Students in Ireland simply welcomed the reduction and called for the VAT to be reduced to 5%, unfortunately accepting the logic that there must be VAT and a price tag on safer sex.
This is at a time when according to one survey, 40% of students didn’t use a condom the last time they had sex. This is particularly worrying given the growing problems of sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia, ghonneria and HIV. Between 1998 and 2003 the reported number of STIs increased by almost 400%.
Yet despite this condoms are more expensive in Ireland than most other parts of the EU, with companies such as Durex and Mates making millions. It is the height of hypocrisy that the government can claim to be trying to tackle the spread of STIs and yet allow this profiteering to take place.
As well as this there is a shocking lack of decent, non-judgmental sex education for young people. In report after report there are stories of teenagers not using condoms correctly or following myths such as ‘you can’t get pregnant if its her first time’.
In order to tackle STIs sex education, free contraception, STI tests and treatment must be provided without the stigma or judgment.
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Comments (14 of 14)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14According to a survey 32% of women said that the price of the contraceptive pill discourages them from using it. At a time when there are high levels of crisis pregnancies, particularly amongst young women, this is a frightening statistic. There’s a vital need for sex education but also the provision of free and easily accessible contraception.
The cost of the first 6 months taking the pill can easily come to €200. This is because of the costs of GP visits, the pill itself and related charges such as the cost for smear tests and nurses’ consultation. Whilst in the South 3rd level students may have access to free or reduced cost health care through their college, most have to pay the full costs involved. This is disgraceful, especially when compared to the North where young people can get the pill free of charge.
On top of the financial burden women are also often confronted with the social taboo attached with getting contraception. They can feel intimidated and judged by their GPs, especially family GPs, some of whom actually refuse point blank to prescribe the pill. It should be the right of each and every woman to choose if she wants to use the pill as a contraceptive, unless there are individual medical issues.
That right ought not be dependent on "individual medical conditions" as you wrote at the end of your comment. To place such a clause on the extension of rights places you another area of ethics, law & state structure - that of medical ethics & the right to refuse treatment which as you might know brings you to death with dignity sooner or later. Big other story. Leave the big other story & always keep your articulation of demands for rights as simple as possible.
:-)
Or man.
Sure, we need free contraceptives of all sorts on application (tho' there are cases where the Pill or other types are medically inadvisable), but that's just a start, as what's needed is proper free medical care; it's mad that people put off seeing a doctor because their budget doesn't allow for it.
I think sexual intimacy, with or without condoms, is best kept within the ancient institution of marriage. I think boys and girls should wait until they marry before trying it, and I think the ideal age of marriage is between 22 and 28. Before that intelligent and curious boys and girls should focus their developing minds on the wonders of art and science. So there you are.
"Before that intelligent and curious boys and girls should focus their developing minds on the wonders of art and science."
Yeah, but they should be using condoms during the "lab" sessions of the human reproductive biology course.
There really is no such thing as 'The Ancient Institution of Marriage'. Thus I fail to see the
humble condom's role in that argument in any way, shape or form. Marriage in the Canon
is hat you do hen you feel like reproducing and is a societal norm, it also has civil
law applications with regard to inheritances and property.
I am thinking of doing a thesis on annulment and condoms next ;but it belongs
on another thread.
Tenagers and condoms are a lethal mix. The sort of care and restraint that is required to allow condoms become a reliable preventative in relation to pregnancy or disease is incompatible with fumbling teenage sex.
More teenage sex just means more pregnancy and disease.
The best way of avoiding both is by adopting a lifestyle where dead-end sex isn't a career-choice. Kids who have ambition, an interest in learning, and healthy interests are seldom bothered by social diseases or indigent pregnancy.
The big difference between the kids in Continental Europe and those in the English-speaking world is that the former have parents who see education as an objective for their kids, while the latter has a growing minority whose parents, raised in a tabloid culture, have lost their moral bearings both for themselves and their ability to nculcate positive alues in their children.
Unfortunately, the amount of tax on condoms is neither hee nor there for this feral minority. Lowering the tax merely gives them more money to spend on alcopops.
Melissa u have some valid points there, but how will u make any1 adopt a better lifestyle? It's better that condoms are available to people who are sexually active (not just teens) to avoid disease & unwanted pregnancies. The Church is correct that sex is dangerous, but dangers can be decreased!
wow!
thats interesting coming from a bunch of male celibates!
I think you missed the point. Sex isn't dangerous unless it is performed on the edge of a cliff, and I don't give a fiddlers what the RC church thinks. The point is that condoms are the worst possible choice of contraception/prophilactic for fumbling inexperienced teenagers. If you add drink to the equation they are a disasterous choice.
Anyone who would encourage teen sex, with or without condoms, is not doing them any favours. Saying that we should abdicate all responsibility "because the little darlings will do it anyway" is a cop-out. Because people do all sorts of stupid, dangerous, and bad things doesn't mean we adults should give up exhorting better alternatives, or abdicate our responsibilities as parents.
Ambition and self-esteem are the best contraceptives.
and its not really an adults place to (ahem) direct 'em, its
all a big journey and puerile enquiry into privacy issues is not appealing- afterall
teenagers don't want to know about adult fumbling really, extend the courtesy to them
and condoms are the best we have at the moment.
I think it's ridiculous that you can't get the pill over the counter without a prescription, how much is a doctor's visit- around €50?
Ok, due to the possible side effects, an initial visit is well advised, but after that, why the need to see the doctor again every time you want to get a new course of pills, it's just a money spinner, why should you have to pay through the nose for acting responsibly?
I'm a teenager thinking of having sex with my boyfriend. We are both over the age of consent, we are planning to use several forms of contraception (despite the steep price) so I must ask; why do you trust us so little?
It's a common misconception that teenagers are idiots. We are young, yes, we make mistakes, but do you honestly think that we are incapable of both having fun while at the same time making something of our lives? You may think of me as just a young girl, but I am both legally and biologically an adult woman. So frankly, it is my right to sleep with any other consenting adult I bloody well choose. I have no wish to fall pregnant, so I will educate myself as best I can about it, take all precautions that are available. But I'm not a robot. I'm not going to devote my youth to studying and not living, even just a little, on the side.
Well, just.. Jeez, guys, why are you all so down on us? We're trying here. We have virtually no sex-ed in schools, contraception is pricey and we always have grown ups ranting at us about STDs and pregnancy and feelings. The majority of teens wait to have sex until they're in their late teens, by the way. So it's not like we have no self-restraint.
As for what the Church thinks, and waiting for marriage... we don't care. Well most of us don't. Also, I find it disagreeable that anyone tries to use their religion to limit my rights in law. We had a lot of money a few years back. How much of it went into better sex-ed in schools, or guidance councellors students could actually talk to about these things, or free contraception?
I honestly feel like the country's let us down about this. But I reckon I'll still sleep with my boyfriend.
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