Family Planning

Family Planning is a basic state policy practiced in China. China's family planning is implemented on the basis of state guidance with voluntary participation by the masses. The central and local governments formulated the policies, laws and regulations to control the population growth and improve the quality of life for their residents. The government is also providing consultation, guidance and services to all couples and individuals regarding of reproductive health care, contraception and birth control. Under the guidance of the state's relevant policies and legislation, couples of childbearing age can arrange for pregnancy and childbirth in a responsible way and select proper contraceptive methods so as to have healthy children and happy progressive families in accordance with the age, health, work and family economic conditions. China's family planning policies include advocating delayed marriage, delayed child bearing, fewer and healthier births, and one child per couple. Some rural couples are permitted to give birth to a second child a few years after the birth of their first child. The policies for minority areas are based according to the willingness of the ethnic groups, its population, resources, economy, culture and customs. Generally they can have two children. In some areas, couples can have three children and there is no limitation to child birth for those minority groups with a small population. Delayed marriage and child bearing as well as fewer and healthier births have been a cornerstone of China's family planning policy since inception. Family planning has helped liberate Chinese women the burden of bearing children out of wedlock. As a result, the health of both mother and child has been greatly improved.