The Ministry of Health announced restrictions on the distribution and purchase of contraceptives.

The Iranian Food and Drug Administration has banned the free or subsidized distribution of contraceptive items and has stated that "any provision of contraceptive drugs" must be done with a doctor's prescription.

In the circular issued by this organization under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, which was communicated to all subordinate institutions on Sunday, February 10, the purpose of imposing these restrictions is to support the implementation of the "Law on Protection of the Family and Youth of the Population."

In the Population Youth Law, which is considered the most important program of the Iranian government to encourage people to increase their population, the possibility of contraception and abortion is limited and prohibited, and any free distribution and provision of items related to contraception, the placement of contraceptive items, and encouragement of their use in the country's healthcare network are prohibited.

The decline in the population growth rate in Iran is a concern of the government, and in particular of the Leader of the Islamic Republic, and in a speech in February 2020, Ayatollah Khamenei once again emphasized "timely marriage and childbearing" as "vital needs of the country today and tomorrow."

In recent years, Ayatollah Khamenei has repeatedly mentioned the need to increase Iran's population and warned about its aging. In this regard, he has called for Iran's population to increase to 150 million. Iran's population is currently 83 million.

The implementation of this law has faced numerous negative reactions domestically and internationally, with UN experts calling for its repeal, saying the new law is a "direct violation of women's rights under international law."

Source: Radio Farda