Donald Trump and his administration want Americans to have more babies. The current government has been vocal about its pro-natalist views. Reports suggest that the Trump administration is exploring various proposals to raise the declining birth rate in the nation, including something called a “baby bonus.”
The government is reportedly looking at different avenues to encourage Americans to have children. According to a New York Times report, talks of starting a scholarship for married people and parents have been brought up.
Another proposal was to give mothers a one-time $5,000 “baby-bonus.” A pro-natalist activist reportedly suggested giving a mother of six children or more a “National Medal of Motherhood.”
Trad wives and “homestead creators” that are blowing up on social media are seen romanticizing the concept of a nuclear family. The trend that these trad wives have started aligns perfectly with Trump and JD Vance’s pro-natalist ideology.
An important factor affecting the birth rate is the increasing infertility rates. Complications with fertility are often immediately linked to the female while disregarding their male counterpart.
According to research, between a heterosexual couple who are trying to conceive, there is roughly a 50-50 split when it comes to fertility issues and the factors causing them. 20% of the time, the male is solely responsible for the infertility. 30-40% of cases show the male to be a contributing factor for infertility.
Dr. Neel Shah, who is the Chief Medical Officer at a virtual clinic for women’s and family health, shared how men rule themselves out as a factor when it comes to being a factor for infertility. A significant number of men do not even undergo infertility testing before their female partner starts IVF treatment.
Infertility affects an estimated 15% of couples. Males are found to be solely responsible for 20% of infertility cases and contribute to 50% of cases overall. Let´s review some basics about #maleinfertility #UROLOGYCHEATSHEETS #UroSoMe pic.twitter.com/ePp5amTCUg
— Esther Garcia Rojo (@rojo_esther) November 9, 2020
“Our healthcare system generally seems better designed for men than for women, but men are more reluctant to engage with it in the first place,” the doctor reveals. He goes on to note how it is common to ignore treating the couple as a “unit” and that the burden “disproportionately” falls on the woman.
The doctor also notes how there is a “broader cultural misunderstanding” that infertility is solely a woman’s issue. Male fertility can be easily determined by submitting a sample of semen and getting it tested at a clinic. Irrespective of how simple the procedure is, Dr.Shah shares how men are reluctant to go through with it.
A pair of parents took to TikTok to give suggestions to the Trump government on exactly what would help encourage Americans to have more babies. “Obviously, no women were involved in this council that’s coming up with these ideas,” the man is heard saying in the clip. The wife of the man shares how free health care and paid maternity leave could be a great incentive to raise the birth rate.
Male sperm count is 59% of what it was in 1973. Testosterone has been dropping 1% a year since then too. The average male in the U.S. is verging on infertility. @DrShannaSwanhttps://t.co/1AIqLZ9NQj pic.twitter.com/qe98CRzxJQ
— Jesse Michels (@AlchemyAmerican) December 1, 2021
Jennifer Sciubba, a demographer, previously spoke to USA Today while sharing some of the factors that are making people hesitant about having children. One of the major factors was the economic uncertainty, with the rising cost of living and house prices.
In addition to that, couples who do decide to have children and have to resort to IVF are discouraged by the expensive procedures. In other cases, people are getting married late and which shortens their window to have children naturally, according to Sciubba.
