NZ herald today reported that it is now on the labour party's agenda to have the government subsidize condoms in supermarkets, dairies and service stations (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10596944). A critical piece can be found on gotcha.co.nz.Is subsidizing condoms really such a bad way to help reduce teen pregnancies and eventually the number of young single mothers on the benefit, raking in $700 a week from the taxpayer? I really do think that this is a great idea. At present, teens who generally can't afford condoms off the shelf (as they often cost around $20 at the supermarket) can get them pretty much free on prescription or from visiting family planning. Many people do not take into account that making an appointment takes time that lots of teens can't be bothered taking. I think another key factor is that doctor's surgeries and family planning clinics are generally not open on the weekends- kids can't pop in and get some condoms before they go to a raging party or a dodgey sleepover, and I would bet that many a teen pregnancy resulted from people turning up unequipped.
It would be important that supermarkets etc did not take advantage of the subsidies, and that fancy ones weren't subsidized, but hopefully someone could come up with a model that worked.
Taxpayer funding for condoms off the shelf is a great idea, and on this point the right really need to get off their high horse and see it for the logical step it is: some kids just ain't bright enough or confident enough to visit their local GP and tell them that they're sexually active, and those definitely aren't the kids that we want producing more kids. I can think of far more ridiculous things that the government has spent money on in the past.
Check out http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/keeping-mum/2009/9/14/protecting-unprepared/?c_id=1502464
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