HOW much I agree with the woman who suggested the Government stops funding the abysmal lifestyles of teenage and unmarried mothers (Stop all support for teenage mothers, Soapbox, September 18).

These girls believe they have the right to bring children into the world when they cannot cook a decent meal or follow a reasonable lifestyle to save their lives.

The result of their promiscuity either ends up a blood-stained scrap in a hospital or clinic waste-bin or, if it is allowed to survive, faces being dragged up with neither care nor guidance, to add to the future numbers of tearaways, vandals or unemployables drinking, drugging or otherwise self-destructing into early oblivion.

If these handouts were stopped, the money gained could go towards the establishment and running of properly run and monitored care homes staffed by decent people acting as worthwhile parents and setting good examples to their charges, something they will never get by living with the sort of mother an unkind fate has wished upon them.

What I can't understand is why, when women have proved themselves totally unable to control their pregnancies, and abortion and hopeless mothers are becoming commonplace, someone hasn't invented a better method of contraception for young men than the condom.

Sensible women have made good use of the pill to control their families, but there are far too many who couldn't care less - there is always some financial handout to allow them to carry on regardless.

I believe boys should be treated in some way to render them unable to father children unless and until they feel mature enough to take this enormous step.

Women have proved themselves worse than useless at contraception - how about allowing the male sex a chance to call a halt to the dreadful state of affairs?

Heather Causnett, Escrick Park Gardens, Escrick, York.


I WAS interested to read the article about teen pregnancies (Red alert over teen pregnancy, The Press, September 15). So at last it is not us pensioners living longer that is causing the problem for this Government.

Only a few weeks ago, I read with disgust about schoolchildren being paid to go and have lessons on helping them claim everything they were entitled to. This is why our country is in such a mess.

We pensioners have worked hard all our lives and fought for our country. We are not expecting to live on handouts. We have to pay, and we do our share of paying, believe me.

Margaret Snowden, Priory Wood Way, Huntington, York.