Some Surprising Insights on Birth Control and Contraception Practices in China

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In the wake of recent uproar about the large gender gap in China (with a ridiculous male to female ratio) there has been cause for sociologists and others to look more closely at the policies that shaped such a result. Aside from general male favoritism, other political decisions have had an impact as well. Generally speaking, over the past several decades, the issue of population has been of the utmost political importance in China and several policies aimed at fertility regulation have been imposed.

In recent years, general contraception and education have proved to be vital in the governments continued focus on family planning. Interestingly, the distribution of contraceptives seems to have had an effect on China’s population, which could be, at least in part, because the government now hands out contraceptive devices for free to all persons of child-bearing age. According to one source, “China has experienced one of the fastest fertility declines in recorded history. During the 1970s, the number of children per woman dropped from just under 6 to just under 3. In the 1980s, fertility hovered somewhat above the ‘replacement level’ of about 2.1 children per woman. By the 2000s, according to the best recent studies, fertility appears to have fallen further to around 1.6” (Greenhalgh 22). Obviously, the measures that have in place have been effective in limiting the growth of the population and although free contraception (generally in the form of oral contraceptives for women) might have contributed to the decline, the general sentiment and propaganda about having children that is put out by the Chinese government could also be having an effect.

In China, oral contraceptive use among women is the preferred method of birth control. Many Chinese women chose the once per month treatment called the “paper pill” which works in much the same way as the daily oral contraceptive, but the woman needs to only think of it once in a 30-day span, as opposed to daily, which reduces the chances of missing a pill and becoming pregnant. Many Chinese women also use birth control injections which have the same benefits as the paper pill and are virtually flawless, with a 99% rate of effectiveness.  The concept of sterilization is still alive, but many Chinese view this to be an outmoded form of family planning and choose oral contraceptives instead. These birth control methods are coupled with the tendency for Chinese couples to begin families later in life and has proved successful.

One distinguishing feature of contraceptive use in China is that the government has put forth considerable effort to ensure the safest and most effective birth control devices possible. China has set up over 40 factories and invested nearly 200 million yen for the production of contraceptives and they are thus able to provide their citizens with one of the most wide-ranging and comprehensive contraception programs in the world. It is also important to note that this allows them to keep the prices low since they are not reliant on an outside manufacturer to provide such products. Furthermore, these efforts are not just aimed at birth control for those in large metropolitan areas, but extend to include even the most poverty-stricken peasants from rural areas. Nearly all couples in China practices at least some form of birth control and according to Greenhalgh, female contraception remains the most prevalent.

Overall, China has the highest rate of birth control users in the world. The government’s provision of free contraception along with its emphasis on family planning has allowed the country to maintain projected birth rate targets without demanding sterilization or other drastic measures.

Source:

Greenhalgh, Susan. Governing China's Population: From Leninist to Neoliberal Biopolitics. Stanford UP, 2005.