Russian women who don't want children will be sent to psychologist (The Times, UK, 3/19)

[highplainsdem]

https://www.thetimes.com/world/russia-ukraine-war/article/russian-women-children-psychologist-zzng0sb99

Russian women who do not want to have children will be referred to psychologists under new health ministry guidelines that were drawn up after the Kremlin outlawed what it called the “ideology of childlessness”.

Russia faces a deepening demographic crisis that has been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

Under the updated guidelines for reproductive health checks, doctors in Russia will ask women how many children they plan to have. If a woman replies that she does not intend to give birth, “it is recommended to send the patient to a consultation with a medical psychologist with the goal of forming a positive attitude towards having children”. The recommendation does not apply to men who have no desire to have children.

In 2024 there were 600,000 more deaths than births in Russia and birth rates fell to their lowest since President Putin came to power in 2000, according to Rosstat, the state statistics service. The current population is 146 million, according to official figures that some analysts suspect have been inflated. Forecasts suggest the country’s population could fall to 90 million or less by the end of the century.

-snip-

Elon Musk and some other RWers would probably approve of the US doing this.

[DFW]

1. It sounds like Putin's mama has been reading him some Matyushka Goose rhymes before he goes to bed.

There was an old zhenshchina who lived in a shoe
She had so many dyeti, she didn't know what to do
She gave them some Borscht without any bread
And sent them to Donbas. We hope they're not dead.

[mr715]

7. Bravo

Well done.

[DFW]

12. Not much to show for a semester of Pushkin in the original

But that was 50 years ago.

[ananda]

2. Mother Bear eats her own and then wants more.

Russia has a long history of serious purging.

Stalin alone massacred 40 million.

And who knows how many became cannonfodder.

[2naSalit]

3. It's what...

The western countries, Us and UK especially, were desperate to send Rosie the riveter back to the kitchen so that the soldiers could have their jobs back. The government and several industries worked to convince women that there was something wrong in their heads if they didn't want to get married and hatch out a bunch of kids. That way them wimins would have to stay home and take care of the kids and serve the 'man of the house'.

[meadowlander]

4. For people wondering where JD Vance got the "childless cat ladies" bee in his bonnet...

Exhibit B. Draw your own conclusions.

If it feels un-American, it's because it is.

[JBTaurus83]

5. Forced pregnancy

Will be right behind.

[chowder66]

6. Send men (who agree with this) to therapy for wanting children in a shit world that they are actively fucking up.

[Norrrm]

8. Shouldn't Erika Kirk and republican Congresswomen resign rather than take a 'man's' job?

[LearnedHand]

9. JFC don't our asshole any ideas

They’ll outlaw deliberately child-free lives immediately.

[roamer65]

10. Depopulation may yet save this planet for future generations.

It should be unimpeded.

[Dixiegrrrl]

11. I remember being treated as crazy for not wanting to be pregnant.

Seattle, 1970.

I was 25, very blue collar background, married, 2 children under 3, history of very difficult pregnancies, and adamantly did not want to be pregnant again.Best birth control was the new pill, but was having very undesirable side effects. Talked to my male gyn., cause there were no female ones around, he said I could "possibly"get sterilized if I had husband's written permission, clinical written approval by TWO shrinks!!!!!, and then had to wait 9 months afterwards.
Downside to hubby getting fixed was his never having kids with anyone in future if I was out of picture. That I could understand.
More important downside was he did not want me to have permanent birth control, which was the underlying issue of the whole problem back then.He actually liked the phrase "barefoot and pregnant."
I divorced him, went on welfare with the 2 kids, welfare was only too happy to pay for my sterilization, and for childcare when I went to Community College to get a degree and got a job.
Ended up with a Master's Degree in Social Work from U of Washington, 2 sons who are very proud of their Mom, and who tell me they still remember having to listen to " I am Woman" by Helen Reddy every morning at 6 am.

[Vinca]

13. Putin wants them to produce cannon fodder not babies.