Birth Control

What was China's policy towards birth control?

China's policy towards birth control was conservative. They wanted to reduce the growing population and introduced the 'one-child' policy under the new marriage law.

Why was the 'one-child' policy introduced?

The policy was introduced as China's population had rapidly grown to 974 million by 1979. The government was concerned it wouldn't be able to provide for the population if it continued to rise.

What were the key details of the 'one-child' policy?

There were 4 key details to the 'one-child' policy:

• ❖ Minimum ages for marriage were raised to 22 years old for men and 20 years old for women.
• ❖ Married couples were only allowed to have one child. If you had more, you would be fined.
• ❖ You had to apply for a permit in order to have a child.
• ❖ If you already had more than one child, the state could abort any further pregnancy or sterilise a woman to avoid more.

What were the outcomes of the 'one-child' policy?

There were 4 main outcomes from this policy:

• ❖ There was an increase in female infanticide.
• ❖ This led to a gender imbalance and, by 1985, only 100 females were born to every 114 males.
• ❖ The policy also had to be incentivised, with one-child families receiving better health care and education.
• ❖ Overall, the policy succeeded in slowing China's birth rate and the growth of its population.