Fresh policies to enhance female fertility

As part of the broader attempts to reverse the trend of declining birth rates in China, many regions have been stepping up measures to protect and enhance female fertility, with an emphasis on scientific contraception to prevent repeated miscarriages.

In August, Yichang city in Central China's Hubei province, cooperated with the China Population and Development Research Center and Hubei Population Society, and established a research center for fertility protection and support.

The city government has also introduced pro-natal policies and action plans to safeguard the fertility of women of reproductive age, with special focuses on women's reproductive health, post-abortion care and assisted reproduction, among others.

In the first 10 months of this year, the city's newborns have increased by 5.82 percent compared with the previous year, signaling a reversal of the downward birth trajectory since 2017, according to Zhang Qiong, deputy mayor of Yichang.

According to definitions given by experts, fertility of women refers to the ability of a woman to bear offspring, which includes the ability to conceive children, have a healthy pregnancy and ensure the well-being of offspring.

Declined female fertility has become a prominent problem worldwide.

According to the World Health Organization, around 17.5 percent of adults — roughly one in six worldwide — are affected by infertility, and the figure is likely to increase.

A survey conducted by China Population Association on China's fertility situation showed that the country's infertility rate last year was about 18.2 percent, up from 2.5 to 3 percent two decades ago.

Research has shown that decreased fertility can be attributed to an increased number of abortions, delayed marriages among young people, and a lack of pregnancy and birth care services, among others.

In China, the high rate of abortion as a result of unplanned pregnancy is one of the key factors leading to declining fertility. Complications from induced abortion, such as tubal blockage, adhesion and endometriosis, are the important factors leading to infertility, according to the health authority in Cixi city, Zhejiang province.

To protect female fertility and prevent unwanted pregnancies, enhancing sex education for adolescents is fundamental, the authority said. Cixi has developed a comprehensive reproductive health service system and systematic courses on sex education and reproductive health for young people.

It has also set up a clinic that provides post-abortion care, psychological counseling, and sexual and contraceptive knowledge for unmarried women after abortion to help them handle negative emotions, raise awareness, and avoid repeated abortions in the future.

In addition, the city government planned to enhance publicity and education on the harm of repeated miscarriages and the importance of contraception. It suggested that relevant regulations to ban illegal abortion advertisements and commercial abortion activities should be set to protect women's reproductive safety.

In Ziyang city, Southwest China's Sichuan province, the local health commission has arranged lectures on sex education for primary and secondary school students to help them foster a rational attitude toward sex at puberty.

Xu Nuo contributed to this story.