Russia Recommends Psychologist Referrals for Women Declining Motherhood to Tackle Demographic Crisis
Russia’s Health Ministry has issued updated clinical guidelines recommending that doctors refer women who say they do not want children to medical psychologists, as part of a broader push to reverse the country’s sharply declining birth rate. Under the new reproductive health check protocols, physicians conducting routine examinations will ask women how many children they plan to have. If the answer is zero, the guidelines state it is recommended to send the patient for a consultation with a medical psychologist “with the goal of forming a positive attitude towards having children.”f13c8b The recommendations, approved in late February and highlighted by state media this week, form part of the government’s ongoing response to a deepening demographic crisis. Russia’s fertility rate stands at around 1.4 children per woman — far below the 2.1 replacement level needed for population stability. In 2024, just 1.22 million babies were born, barely above the record low of 1999. Projection...