Iran's got a thing for babies--and Tehran is ready to go to new limits to encourage Persian pregnancy.
Business Insider reported Sunday that Tehran is considering banning birth control surgery, namely vasectomies, as it attempts to boost its population.
Under the new provisions, doctors who perform vasectomies will be jailed for five years. Tubal ligations are also considered in the draft law, but the article noted that much more debate is needed on the legislation before it is considered for approval into law.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously called for a new "baby boom" nationwide after data showed that the country's birth rate has fallen from 3.22 percent in 1986 to a 1.22 percent rate today. Iran currently is home to nearly 76.5 million, but Khamanei has called for a doubling of the population, saying that Iran should be home to at least 150 million.
So what's the push for? Khamenei's 14-point decree says more babies will "strengthen national identity." Let's hope Iranian parents' patience for sleepless nights then is strengthened too!
