Why Aren’t Russians Having Babies?. According to statistics, in the past decade in Russia, a million more people die every year than are born. Such figures give various sociologists, politicians, and economists a reason to speak of a demographic crisis in the country. [European News from World Press Review]

Mariya Kakturskaya, Argumenty i Fakty (mass-circulation weekly), Moscow, Russia, July 23, 2003

"According to statistics, in the past decade in Russia, a million more people die every year than are born. Such figures give various sociologists, politicians, and economists a reason to speak of a demographic crisis in the country. They’re saying that Russian women must be forced by any means to have not just one child but two or more.

Specialists believe that the reduction in the number of children per family is a logical consequence of improved standards of living—the “civilized life.” But Argumenty i Fakty has conducted its own investigation into the question of why Russian women aren’t having babies and has come to the conclusion that civilization has nothing to do with it. In principle, the overwhelming majority of Russian women are not opposed to having children—they’d definitely like to have one, and maybe two. But that’s just talk and wishful thinking that does not always coincide with actual opportunities. According to the Ministry of Health, 5 million to 6 million Russian couples are unable to have children.

Gennadi and Ludmila S. of Rostov have spent seven years in and out of doctors’ offices, investing their last savings on medical treatment. Finally, they reached the moment when the doctor pronounced the long-awaited words, “Congratulations! You will soon be a papa and mama!” The future mother beamed with happiness, and the husband was walking on eggshells. Suddenly, all their hopes were dashed. The doctors learned from a test that the pregnant woman had an infection. Indifferently, they told her, “You have to go get ‘cleaned out,’ otherwise you will have a deformed baby.”

After the abortion, it took three months for Ludmila to recover. And then, once again, she went to first one doctor, then another. And suddenly she learned that the diagnosis of the infection should have been checked at other laboratories—many people find results are not confirmed upon a repeat analysis. What’s more, these doctors told her that her first abortion was a final sentence—now she could never have children. As for the first doctors, they simply threw up their hands, saying, all the responsibility is on your shoulders, Mom, our job is only to warn you, but you yourself make the decision.

Not only health problems get in the way of women becoming mothers. Out of those who somehow manage to get pregnant, only one in three women will eventually give birth. While one in 10 pregnant women have miscarriages due to health problems, 60 percent of those pregnant women opt to have abortions. Almost half select the operation due to financial difficulties. Another 20 percent willingly reject the opportunity to have children because they don’t see how they can secure a future for them in Russia.

Future moms are decidedly disliked at local clinics. A pregnant colleague of ours who went to her local clinic to register was met with the following words: “Why do you think you’re going to have a baby? Look at yourself—bags under your eyes, scrawny. You’ll have a miscarriage in the third month for sure.” After such an introduction, the desire to meet with the Obgyn evaporates. ..." 

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