Concerned about the demographic crisis in Russia, dictator Vladimir Putin has defined a new target in the war against the country’s falling fertility rates: saunas.
According to information published by Russian websites such as Life.ru, Holod and RBC, the Russian Ministry of Health has just published new guidelines for the medical examination of men of reproductive age.
Men who report regularly visiting public baths, saunas and other places with high temperatures will be referred for semen quality testing, according to Life.ru.
The guidelines establish that as a first step, men who undergo medical examinations must fill out a questionnaire that includes a question about their habit of frequenting these places.
Anyone who responds affirmatively will be referred to the second stage, which consists of a spermogram and a subsequent consultation with a urologist.
The objective, according to the Russian Ministry of Health, is to identify possible reproductive health problems in the early stages.
Women, in turn, will also respond to questionnaires and a new guideline published this month recommends that those who do not wish to have children undergo consultation with a psychologist.
With the Russian population aging and many young people dying or having their health compromised by the war in Ukraine, increasing the country’s fertility rates has been a concern for the Putin regime, which has previously announced measures such as tax breaks for larger families and social benefits for low-income families with children aged three to seven.
According to data from the World Bank, in 2023 the birth rate per woman was just 1.4 in Russia, while in 1987 this level was 2.2.
