A new directive from the Russian Ministry of Health has recommended that women who don't want to have children be sent to psychologists, Agence France-Presse reported. The aim of the measure is to make these women change their minds against the backdrop of the country's demographic problems, BTA reported.
The decline in the birth rate in Russia has been one of the main concerns of Russian President Vladimir Putin since he came to power 25 years ago. And since the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, in which hundreds of thousands of young men have been sent to the front, this problem has worsened.
The Russian Health Ministry is recommending that doctors send women who do not want children to consult a psychologist in order to form a positive attitude towards motherhood, according to the text of the document seen by Agence France-Presse today. The recommendations were approved in late February but were made public this week by the media.
According to the document, doctors should invite women aged 18 to 49 to undergo an annual medical examination to assess their reproductive health. The recommendations also provide for similar consultations for men of the same age, but only to assess their physical health, without resorting to a psychologist.
According to Putin, the decline in the Russian population is a matter of national survival. He warned in 2024 that Russia would face "extinction" if it did not increase its birth rate. It is now the country's lowest in 200 years, with an average of 1.4 children per woman, well below the 2.1 threshold that demographers believe is needed to stabilize the population.
In recent days, Moscow has tightened abortion laws and passed laws punishing those who advocate a childless life. Large families are praised in the media and enjoy many financial and social benefits provided by the state.