The contention cannot be summarily dismissed because the health and security of children understandably has considerable emotional appeal. One would need a heart of stone and a soul of ice to turn away from the pleading eyes of a starving waif, clad in rags, consumed with fear and desperation, begging for a crust of bread on the streets of Lagos, Lahore or Lima. To witness such a scene is to be overwhelmed with frustration, rage, or even guilt. But it happens every day throughout the world to all too many young people, often abandoned by parents too poor to even feed them, much less clothe and educate them.
Youths growing up in industrialized countries have a virtually unlimited future.
But many, if not most, of those reared in developing countries find themselves trapped in a cycle of chronic illiteracy, hunger, unemployment and poverty. That is, if they can somehow manage the long, arduous climb up the slippery slope from childhood to adulthood. A staggering number do not live long enough to even make it through the first year of life. More than 100 children in every 1,000 live births in 21 African countries do not. It has been suggested that the best way to avoid the daunting deprivation awaiting untold numbers of unwanted children worldwide is to ensure universal access to a variety of contraceptive methods.