LETTER: Family planning helps Third World
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.From Mr Harry Stopes-Roe
Sir: I much appreciate Emma Brooker's report on our conversation ("Sex, libel and eugenics", 17 November). But there was one point where she over- simplified what I said. As the issue is important, I would like to explain.
I said that the family planning being done by Marie Stopes International (continuing my mother's work now, in ways relevant now) is a practical contribution to a complex problem (namely, Third World development); I did not say a "practical solution to a straightforward problem". There is a growing attack by certain elements in the Third World movement against the importance of family planning; and one of their grounds for attack is the claim that some supporters of family planning press it as the solution. I, and those I know, certainly do not.
There are 100 million couples in the Third World who have no proper family planning services, which is causing untold tragedy. Many hundreds of thousands of Third World women a year have non-medical abortions, often suffering the attendant morbidity and death.
These are personal tragedies. The community also suffers. Every addition to a country's population requires addition of capital to provide corresponding education and health care, and as the child reaches maturity further additional capital is required. All this must be provided out of whatever increase in GNP the country may achieve, thus reducing the GNP per capita available as income.Increased total food production yields a reduced per capita food production in nearly half the developing countries. Women's personal losses have their communal costs, too: for example, half of the Nigerian maternity budget is wasted on complications from illegal abortions.
Certainly the developed world should support health, women's education, appropriate technology, etc; but family planning is very productive, too.
Yours faithfully,
Harry Stopes-Roe
Birmingham
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments