New Russian healthcare guidelines require psychological evaluation for women who refuse childbirth

Russia has introduced new healthcare guidelines that mandate psychological examinations for women who choose not to have children, as the Kremlin addresses what it considers an existential demographic threat. The policy represents the latest effort by Russian authorities to combat declining birth rates, which officials view as a critical challenge to the country's future. The measure reflects Moscow's increasingly interventionist approach to population policy as it seeks to reverse demographic trends that have persisted since the Soviet collapse.