Contraception should be mandatory for both sexes until they have passed a fit for parenting exam: theory and practice.

[HullyEastergully]

I'm serious.

[bellarose2011]

Maybe not a bad idea! Although just because you pass an exam doesn't mean you will be good parent.
Another criteria should be that the father off the child should actually want to be a father and not be married to someone else!

[YoucanringmySleighBells]

I agree actually, although I don't think it will go down well.....

[HullyEastergully]

Why won't it go down well?

You have to pass an exam for everything else, drive a car etc, why not to create a live human being? It doesn't make sense.

[YoucanringmySleighBells]

OOh yes questions would be on the theory?

I would ask
Do you need sleep to survive? Yes or No
Do you enjoy having a pelvic floor? Yes or No

[YoucanringmySleighBells]

Well isn't it a basic Human Right and Need to reproduce?

I agree with you though.

[MrsJingleBells74]

Not a bad idea but I don't see how you would enforce it

[HullyEastergully]

It shouldn't be.

It's nonsense. How can it be a right?

[HullyEastergully]

I would contracept everyone at 13.

[Dawndonna]

My mother should not have been allowed to have children. She would have passed any exam available. As the local headteacher the bitch always got away with it.

[HullyEastergully]

Oh dawn, that is sad.

Theory AND practice tho, and I guess full psychological assessment.

[Sparklingbrook]

YY I will back that. Another question or two could be

Do you enjoy building things out of cardboard boxes for school projects and homework shouting? Yes or No?

Do you enjoy standing on the sidelines of a football pitch in minus temperatures watching children play football? Yes or No?

[Myliferocks]

What about if somebody falls pregnant whilst using contraception but hadn't passed or even taken the exams?

[GrrrArghZzzzYaayforall8nights]

What would happen for contraception failure pregnancies?

Which contraception would be approved? I used a cervical cap and my GP was horrified (even when I never had an issue with it and I can't take hormonal pills for medical reasons).

And while it might seem like a good idea, any exam/text will be biased. You could make it as objective as possible, but people are subjective. The people affected would be the same already affected by eugenics policies. Those policies still cause pain around the world - multiple Indigenous American nations have practically collapsed due to the up to 80% of women being forcibly sterilized within our lifetimes. The main target of these have always been The Other, basically anyone who isn't a WASP.

The government should never have control over people's bodies.

YABU.

[HullyEastergully]

It would be unlikely. If it happened they would be regarded with the utmost mistrust and carefully monitored until exams were done and then after the birth too.

[Sparklingbrook]

They will need to do a crash course. Nine-ish months to revise Mylife

[HullyEastergully]

Not sterilization, contraception.

[SugarplumMary]

The worry is that someone will get to decide who is allowed DC - that people with disablies, genentic conditions how ever copable they might be or red hair or whatever then wouldn't be 'allowed' them.

[YoucanringmySleighBells]

Hully - go and put together a full proposal with contingency plans and then we can all really get our teeth into the nitty-gritty.

Then with the full backing of MN we will change the world

[lostconfusedwhatnext]

how would you contracept them? I am very dubious about hormonal contraception. Some people do very badly with it (general health and moods etc). Barrier methods are surely only voluntary. So I am not sure how this could reasonably be done

[LalyRawr]

I was using two forms of contraceptive and still got pregnant!

But seriously, though this sounds great in theory, people's ideas of a good parent varies greatly. Who would decide what a 'good' parent is? Is a SAHM a better parent because they spend more time with their children, or is a Working Mum because she is earning for her family?

But isn't this what the adoption process is? & haven't we all criticised that because loving people were deemed to old/fat/gay to give an unwanted child a home?

I know this was meant to be lighthearted, so I'm sorry for ruining it!

[Sparklingbrook]

Can't wait for this to be the topic on The Wright Stuff next week.

[lostconfusedwhatnext]

Also, you could pass the exam, and then just choose to be a horrible parent, out of malice, or laziness.

[HazleNutt]

YANBU. In Switzerland you need to pass a theory and practical exam to get a dog, so at least the same requirement for parents is very reasonable.

[VoiceofUnreason]

Ideal world:

a) everyone undergoes some form of reversible sterilisation at birth
b) only reversed when you can prove yourself financially, mentally, physically and every other ally capable of bringing up children
c) after 2 children, you are sterilised permanently

That way enough money for all - decent pensions, free childcare, better standard of living, no children in poverty, university education paid for, better pay for nurses, decent council houses etc etc

I know some people would like 3 or more kids, but let's also think of the finite resources of our planet. It would also stop irresponsible people having kids with everyone they shag. Admittedly, if you had 2 kids and then formed another relationship, if you've had your quota, you won't be able to have more kids with the new partner. But them's the brakes!