Achieving sustainable growth in birth rates is a matter of life and death for Russia, the Kremlin has previously said
Pre-natal clinics in the city of Ivanovo in western Russia will try to dissuade women from having an abortion by showing them real-life models of embryos, local media have reported. The initiative comes as Russia aims to improve its birth rate to address a declining population.
Three clinics in the city were reportedly given sets containing five models that represent the development stages fetuses go through during the first three months of pregnancy. The sets were donated by a married couple who wished to remain anonymous, Ivanovo-based news portal Kstati.news wrote on Wednesday. The initiative is supported by the local health authorities, the outlet added.
Midwives will show the sets to women who are considering terminating their pregnancy as part of an obligatory pre-abortion consultation. Also by law, any woman seeking an abortion in Russia must wait a week before going through with the procedure.
Abortion is legal in Russia and is covered by the national health insurance system. Pregnancy may be terminated up to 12 weeks into gestation at the woman’s request, up to 22 weeks for social reasons such as being a result of rape, or in case of the death of the husband, and at any stage for medical reasons.
The abortion rate in the country has been declining by an average of 6% every year, according to official statistics. In 2022, roughly 38 terminations were recorded per every 100 births.
The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, last year described the abortion rate as a “national disaster.” The church rejects the argument that terminating a pregnancy should be allowed until the embryo reaches a certain stage of development.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to endorse calls for a full ban on abortions. Instead, he has repeatedly spoken out about the need for the government to encourage Russian families to have more children. A number of measures have been introduced in recent years to encourage this.
Along with many other Russian regions, Ivanovo has seen a steady decline in population in recent years with the death rate exceeding birth rate by two to three times.
According to official statistics, last year the birth rate in Russia plunged to its lowest level since 1999. A recent study conducted by macroeconomic analysis center CMASF suggested that the trend could translate into a significant decline in population and lead to various problems for the economy.
Improving the demographic situation and achieving sustainable growth in birth rates is a matter of life and death for Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this year.
