The Russian government has issued a new public health directive requiring doctors to refer women who refuse to have children to clinical psychologists for "attitude adjustment," following a severe birth rate crisis hitting a 200-year low amid a prolonged war.
The Russian government has introduced a new public health guideline mandating that women who do not wish to have children be referred for counseling with clinical psychologists to promote a positive attitude toward childbirth. This is part of ongoing efforts to address the continuous population decline crisis.
This guideline comes from the Ministry of Health, stating that during reproductive health check-ups, doctors will ask women how many children they wish to have. If the answer is "zero" or if they express no desire to have children, doctors are advised to refer the patient to a "clinical psychologist" with the goal of "creating a positive attitude toward having children." This guideline was approved in late February and began being publicized through state media this week.
President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, has expressed deep concern about the population decline issue, describing it as a "matter of national survival." He warned in 2024 that Russia could face "extinction" if it does not raise its birth rate.
Currently, Russia's birth rate is about 1.4 children per woman, the lowest in 200 years and below the standard replacement rate of 2.1, which demographers say is necessary to maintain population stability.
This problem has worsened over the past four years after Russia deployed hundreds of thousands of men to the front lines in the Ukraine war, causing a severe shortage of people of reproductive age.
Previously, the Russian government implemented continuous legal measures to encourage births, such as tightening abortion regulations to make abortions more difficult, outlawing the promotion or dissemination of ideas supporting "childlessness," and honoring families with many children as national heroes, offering them substantial welfare and financial support.
This policy of referring women to psychologists reflects the latest attempt by Russian authorities to intervene in citizens' private lives in order to address a strategic national issue threatening Russia's future.
/AFP