Ministry of Health Announces Restrictions on Distribution and Purchase of Contraceptive Devices
The Food and Drug Organization of Iran has prohibited the free or subsidized distribution of contraceptive items and stated that “any provision of birth control drugs” must be done through a doctor’s prescription.
In a circular issued by this organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Health on Sunday, January 1st, the goal of implementing these restrictions was stated to be in support of the implementation of the “Law for the Protection of Family and Youth Population.”
Under the population youth law, which is considered the most important program of the Iranian government to encourage people to increase population growth, contraception and abortion have been restricted and prohibited, and any free distribution and provision of contraceptive items, placement of contraceptive items, and encouragement of their use in the country’s health and treatment network has been prohibited.
The decline in Iran’s population growth rate is a concern for the government and specifically for the Leader of the Islamic Republic. Ayatollah Khamenei again emphasized in his remarks in November 2020 the importance of “timely marriage and child-bearing” as “vital needs of today and tomorrow for the country.”
Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly referred in recent years to the necessity of increasing Iran’s population and has warned about the aging of the population. In this regard, he has called for increasing Iran’s population to 150 million people. Iran’s current population is 83 million.
Implementation of this law at domestic and international levels has faced numerous negative reactions, and experts from the United Nations who have called for its repeal say the new law is a “direct violation of women’s rights under international law.”
Source: Radio Farda
