Radio and television stations in Pakistan have been advised to ditch methods of contraception advertising amid concerns that it exposes venerable children to the topic of sex.
The ban was issued after the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PERMA) received several complaints from concerned parents stating that the already socially conservative country should prohibit contraception adverts because it stimulated unnecessary curiosity in young children.
The statement released to the public regarding the issue read “the general public is very much concerned about the exposure of such products to innocent children who get inquisitive on the features and use of the products.”
Prohibiting the endorsement of contraception methods came as a surprise to many citizens and worldwide organisations, as Pakistan currently stands to be ranked sixth on the worlds most populous nation scale and already has a lower access to birth control than most countries.
The action still went ahead, despite Government initiatives set in place to increase Pakistan’s birth control rate. The Government’s annual report addressing the use of contraception said, “reduction in population growth is one of the top priorities of the Government of Pakistan to maintain balance between country’s resources and population.”
According to Government statistics, the already low use of contraception within Pakistan dropped by a further 7.2 percent last year, and is feared to drop even lower this year due to the new ban that limits the promotion of contraception.
The ban that was supported by parents is sparking other concern within the nation, with fears that the spread of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS will continue to run widespread in the country that lost 2,800 lives last year alone to these types of infections.
The statement issued to the public read that media outlets found guilty of not complying with these new regulations will “face legal action under PERMA laws.”
Source: wikinews.org
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