US Population Policy

USA does not have a proper population policy as it feels that people should have freedom in family planning. Instead, US government controls the amount of immigrants migrating into the country. US government financially supports women for family planning services (i.e. birth controls) Financial support can be in the form of: o o Social Welfare Payment Tax refund (or regressive tax)

To be eligible for monetary welfare support, women must meet the following criteria: 1. Have an income that is 50% below the poverty rate 2. Must be single 3. Must have been pregnant at least once

National Family Planning Programme In 1970, US government introduced the National Family Planning Programme and since then has financially supported 76% of family planning agencies in the US.

However, every year, 4 million American women, including adolescents use the programmes funding for abortions and sterilisations. To solve this, as a prerequisite condition, teenagers must be provided with contraceptive information, gynaecological examinations, pregnancy tests, screening tests for STDs, HIV and cancer by family planning agencies (funded by the government) in order to get sufficient knowledge of birth controls.

Problems with USA population policy/ National Family Planning Programme

The government having to fund/subsidise family planning agencies continuously means that a portion tax revenue cannot be spent elsewhere (for other welfare interests) and this will be a burden to future tax payers

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It is dangerous for women to acquire abortions if the practice is not properly done These services (abortion\sterilisation) can be abused by teenage girls