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Discussion of our population density has been suppressed for so long that we often talk about the fact that there are too many of us without progressing to solutions.

Increasing the status of women is the single most important social factor for improving birth rates. Gender equality gains reproductive freedom and the opportunity for a life beyond wife and mother. Providing contraceptive services for the hundreds of millions of couples who want to limit their offspring and lack the means is critical to eliminating unwanted conceptions, but women's right to use those services must be respected as well.

Young people in the US who have decided not to procreate often have trouble finding a doctor to perform a vasectomy or tubal ligation. Apparently we are old enough to decide to breed much earlier than we are old enough to decide not to breed.  

We have a long way to go to achieve both gender equality and universal reproductive freedom. It does little good to encourage responsible reproductive choice when there's no choice, and a choice isn't of much use if we don't realize we have it.

posted 2 years, 5 months ago
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