BIRTH CONTROL 37 



that a widespread knowledge of the methods of contra- 

 ception would encourage promiscuous intercourse. This is 

 no doubt true in a measure. Here again we must, however, 

 weigh the good results against the bad. Much might be done 

 in any case to mitigate such harmful results as would result 

 from a widespread knowledge of birth-control methods. 

 Pubhc advertisements of contraceptive appliances should be 

 prohibited. The most important reform which could now 

 be made would be, however, to ascertain the best methods 

 of instructing young people as to sexual matters — a difficult 

 problem — and to see that such improved methods were 

 generally adopted. But whatever steps might be taken in 

 order to safeguard the situation, married women should 

 always be able to get the necessary information without 

 difficulty, which is not the case at present. 



Certain moral advantages would, moreover, result from a 

 general admission that birth control is justifiable in certain 

 circumstances. Early marriages would thus be facilitated, 

 and promiscuous intercourse diminished in consequence. 

 The feeling of individual responsibihty in regard to their 

 children amongst parents would be increased ; because the 

 appearance of each child would be felt to be the result of 

 deliberate choice. The strongest argument in favour of 

 birth control is, however, that the present increase in the 

 population of the world cannot go on indefinitely, and that 

 the only alternatives in the future will be either birth control 

 or the birth of millions of children destined to die a prevent- 

 able death after a short and useless life. This is what is 

 now taking place in countries where birth control is not 

 practised. 



To sum up, when the choice lies between doing an injury 

 to posterity and refraining from parenthood, it appears that 

 either continence or birth control must be practised. Those 

 who admit that continence cannot be reUed on as a suffi- 

 ciently efficient check on population, but who nevertheless 

 hope to see the practice of birth control entirely abandoned, 

 should consider what would be the result of the fulfilment 

 of their hopes. It would certainly be a steady increase in 



