DDHK. ORG – To trick residents into wanting to have children, the Hong Kong Government has carried out various tactics.
Reporting from Seconds, the fertility rate in this country has decreased since 2018. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, Hong Kong's position is now the lowest in the world, after South Korea and Singapore.
Even though the Hong Kong government realize that fertility rates are declining, but the support given to couples who want to have children is still far from what was expected. Currently, in Hong Kong, child tax benefits have only been increased by HK$10.000 or around more than IDR 19 million.
In reality, it did little to halt the slide fertility rate in a few years. For example, one Hong Kong resident, Ah Ying (34), agreed with her husband not to discuss the desire to have children anymore, they even adopted a cat last year, which is considered a member of the family.
Quoted from the Hong Kong Free Press, there are still several ways that can be done to overcome this problem. This can help minimize the pain and anxiety experienced by Hong Kong residents who are struggling to conceive and have children.
- IVF Policy Revision
The government must revise the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) care policy or IVF program. It is hoped that the government will provide the IVF program with more than three subsidized treatments for eligible couples, especially since it is very common for women to need multiple IVFs to finally conceive successfully.
For example, the Japanese government provides up to six subsidized IVF treatments to eligible women under 40 years of age, and three treatments to those aged 40 to 42 years. Hong Kong should consider doing the same, so that more women have access to the additional frequent IVF treatments.
- Subsidies for Women Who Want to Freeze Eggs
The Hong Kong government has to provide subsidies to women who wish to freeze their eggs to maintain fertility in the future. As in South Korea, the Seoul government plans to provide subsidies to women in their 30s who wish to freeze their eggs.
- Providing Fertility Service Programs
In addition to fertility services, it is also important for the government to provide or educate the public about factors that can affect fertility. For example, a program educating younger women and men about how best to maintain their fertility later in life would obviously be beneficial.
This can include understanding how age and long-term lifestyle choices affect their health. For example like:
Avoid smoking
Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
Maintain a healthy weight
- Dispelling the Stigma of 'Women's Problems'
For a patriarchal city like Hong Kong, it's important to understand that infertility isn't just a woman's problem and end the stigma. Because, this is a problem that must be addressed regardless of gender.
It is the role of educational programs to help address long-standing social problems. With greater awareness, parents-to-be can control their reproductive health and increase their chances of having children. [DDHK News]
