What you can learn about this from various news sources

Women should pay more attention to contraception, because last year, according to the minister, 15,000 women went through an abortion. What's worse is that between 15 year olds and 19 year olds half the women used no contraceptive medium AT ALL. For women younger than 15, it's worse - about two thirds of them didn't use contraception.

The socialist party's site also says that AIDS is a growing problem.

As a remedy, beginning April 1st 2004, women younger than 21 will be given a monthly voucher of 3€ that they can give their pharmacist when buying pills, coils, etc. Condoms are not mentioned (except as a gift when buying a box of pills).

The sources I read were various on-line Belgian newspapers (Le Soir, La Dernière Heure, La Libre Belgique) and the campaign's site (http://www.laura.be).

The problem

The role played by boys is rarely mentioned (in the TV spot, it seems that a boy is visible two times, for about 5 seconds: find him and win a condom ;-) ), so it seems that contraception should just be women's concern.

If one considers Belgian Laws against discrimination, this seems almost illegal to me. My common sense also tells me that the campaign should have focused much more on contraception for young Belgian COUPLES.

When you examine the various sources, you see that boys are mentioned, and you barely understand that they should really feel concerned about the campaign too.

Equality in the facts

Why don't boys receive some reduction check for contraception too? This would seem like a good way to make them feel concerned about it. Speaking as a boy, the current campaign wouldn't make me feel concerned at all: it makes me think that contraception is women's problem.