The Sexual Health Strategy recently launched by the government has been a great disappointment. It shows up a government that does not seem to have a clue what is in the best interest of our country and the common good.

It also reflects poorly on the current health minister who is recognised as an outstanding medical specialist in his field. 

The strategy being advocated fails at every level, that is, the practical, the educational and the moral.

From a practical viewpoint, the greatest challenge facing Malta and the rest of Europe is without doubt the devastating drop in the fertility rate and the almost insurmountable difficulties being faced by young couples who intend to start a family.

The current general culture fortified by short-sighted legislation has, over the years, denatured and weakened the family to an unprecedented degree. Despite the much-vaunted economic prosperity, it is distressing to witness the deep concerns and fears young people face and have when making life-long commitments.

It does not take much acumen to realise that the manner in which we harness our sexuality plays an overriding and crucial role in the outcomes of the way we fashion our relationships and our future.

Is the aggressive promotion of contraceptives and abortifacients the solution? 

Self-discipline was once the hallowed cornerstone of education. It has always been recognised that the promotion of virtue was the key to authentic empowerment. I am sure that our health minister reached levels of excellence in his profession by sheer hard work and sacrifice.

This is the common experience of people who succeed in making the best of the talents they have been blessed with.

Is the aggressive promotion of contraceptives and abortifacients the solution?- Klaus Vella Bardon

Sacrifice and dedicated commitment are the hallmark of success in any sphere of activity, even in forming a lifelong relationship and a family that is in the best interest of society.

It, therefore, beggars belief that a man of the calibre of Jo Etienne Abela promotes a strategy that rewards and promotes irresponsible behaviour.

It is a sad reality that programmes meant to promote sexual health by agencies in the UN and the EU have been hijacked by amoral activists who are hell-bent on sexualising society from the earliest age.

This modus operandi has damaged the family structure by fostering a callous attitude to sex and life by fostering a culture of hedonism and instant gratification.

Is this the way that our medical professionals are going to build our shattered society?

One need only look at the depressing statistics of the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, drug addiction, alcoholism, pornography, prostitution, broken marriages, domestic violence, obesity, etc. to realise that we are spawning a generation of people who are doomed to be slaves of their uncontrolled instincts and vices.

I look back on my childhood and salute those people who, whether by choice or circumstances, were celibate and lived upright, positive lives.

Very often, they dedicated themselves to helping others, both in the family and the community when their relatives, friends and neighbours were faced with difficulties caused by bereavement, illness and financial difficulties.

It would be naïve to think that we can regain the culture of chastity and heroic virtue that was respected and encouraged just a generation ago. 

Yet, I believe we can at least avoid doing our utmost to undermine and ruin the best interests of the future generation.