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Tehran: Difference between revisions

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From a historical perspective, Iran has frequently changed its family planning policies. In the 1960s, Iran recognized that it was experiencing rapid population growth, and national family planning policies were introduced. Yet, following the Iranian Revolution (1979), the newly formed Iranian government, under Ayatollah Khomeini, focused on a traditional, pro-natalist approach. Family planning clinics were closed down, birth control policy was suspended and abortion was re-criminalized.<ref>[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/583de01e29687f52b5487598/t/59a647219f8dcef77913d3eb/1504069410527/Aloosh+and+Saghai+2016+Birth+Control+Policies+in+Iran.pdf Birth control policies in Iran: a public health and ethics perspective - Mehdi Aloosh, Yashar Saghai]</ref>
From a historical perspective, Iran has frequently changed its family planning policies. In the 1960s, Iran recognized that it was experiencing rapid population growth, and national family planning policies were introduced. Yet, following the Iranian Revolution (1979), the newly formed Iranian government, under Ayatollah Khomeini, focused on a traditional, pro-natalist approach. Family planning clinics were closed down, birth control policy was suspended and abortion was re-criminalized.<ref>[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/583de01e29687f52b5487598/t/59a647219f8dcef77913d3eb/1504069410527/Aloosh+and+Saghai+2016+Birth+Control+Policies+in+Iran.pdf Birth control policies in Iran: a public health and ethics perspective - Mehdi Aloosh, Yashar Saghai]</ref>


However, in 1989, the government's policies began to rapidly change. The war with Iraq had ended, Ayatollah Khomeini had died, and the new leaders, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, recognized that there was a population growth problem. The government launched a new campaign to encourage families to have a maximum of two children under the slogan, "One is good. Two is enough."<ref>[http://bust.com/feminism/15416-births-of-a-nation.html Iran Once Offered Free Birth Control To All Its Citizens, And It Was Amazing]</ref> Furthermore, Iran's Health Ministry began providing free contraceptives, including condoms, pills, implants, IUDs and sterilization, which could be obtained at urban clinics, rural clinics and mobile clinics. The government also required that college students, soldiers and engaged couples take classes on family planning. These changes helped successfully lead to a decline in population growth and fertility rates, along with rising literacy rates and other significant changes in Iranian society.<ref>[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/583de01e29687f52b5487598/t/59a647219f8dcef77913d3eb/1504069410527/Aloosh+and+Saghai+2016+Birth+Control+Policies+in+Iran.pdf Birth control policies in Iran: a public health and ethics perspective - Mehdi Aloosh, Yashar Saghai]</ref>
However, in 1989, the government's policies began to rapidly change. The war with Iraq had ended, Ayatollah Khomeini had died, and the new leaders, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, recognized that there was a population growth problem. The government launched a new campaign to encourage families to have a maximum of two children under the slogan, "One is good. Two is enough."<ref>[http://bust.com/feminism/15416-births-of-a-nation.html Iran Once Offered Free Birth Control To All Its Citizens, And It Was Amazing]</ref> Furthermore, Iran's Health Ministry began providing free contraceptives, including condoms, pills, implants, IUDs and sterilization, which could be obtained at urban clinics, rural clinics and mobile clinics. The government also required that college students, soldiers and engaged couples take classes on family planning. These changes helped to successfully bring a decline in population growth and fertility rates.<ref>[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/583de01e29687f52b5487598/t/59a647219f8dcef77913d3eb/1504069410527/Aloosh+and+Saghai+2016+Birth+Control+Policies+in+Iran.pdf Birth control policies in Iran: a public health and ethics perspective - Mehdi Aloosh, Yashar Saghai]</ref>


The last decade has seen further shifts in family planning policy. In 2006, President Ahmadinejad declared that he wanted the population to increase from 70 million to 120 million and that having babies was the "main mission" of women. Many Iranian leaders were quoted as saying that population control measures belonged in the past. During this time, the government cuts its budget for subsidized condoms and family planning services, increased paid maternity and paternity leave and tried to make female or male sterilization illegal.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/08/12/iran-bans-vasectomies-wants-more-babies/?utm_term=.8724a30ccb9b Iran bans vasectomies, wants more babies]</ref>
The last decade has seen further shifts in family planning policy. In 2006, President Ahmadinejad declared that he wanted the population to increase from 70 million to 120 million and that having babies was the "main mission" of women. Many Iranian leaders were quoted as saying that population control measures belonged in the past. During this time, the government cuts its budget for subsidized condoms and family planning services, increased paid maternity and paternity leave and tried to make female or male sterilization illegal.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2014/08/12/iran-bans-vasectomies-wants-more-babies/?utm_term=.8724a30ccb9b Iran bans vasectomies, wants more babies]</ref>

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