The transition to fatherhood is a critical inflection point for men's long-term health. Policies that support fathers, like paternity leave, should be viewed not just as family benefits but as smart public policy investments that can address major societal issues like men's heart disease, maternal depression, and child poverty.

Centuries of war and political purges created a severe and persistent gender imbalance in Russia. This scarcity led to men being viewed as a precious resource to be fought over and protected. Consequently, very low societal expectations were placed on them, fostering a culture of coddled men who were not incentivized to improve.

The drop in national birth rates is primarily driven by an increasing number of women who never become mothers at all. The total number of children per mother has remained relatively stable. This highlights a crisis of family formation and coupling, rather than a decision by parents to have fewer kids.

Universal childcare, typically framed as a feminist policy, could be profoundly beneficial for men. By alleviating financial stress on young families, it could reduce divorce rates. This is critical as men are significantly more prone to self-harm and negative outcomes following a divorce, making family economic stability a key men's issue.

The Soviet Union legalized abortion in 1920, three years before other forms of birth control were available. This policy set a precedent that lasted for decades, resulting in abortion becoming the primary family planning method. The average Soviet woman had 3 to 12 abortions during her childbearing years.

China's plummeting birth rate is not just about cost. It's a structural issue where highly educated, professional women are opting out of childbirth because male partners are not stepping up to equally share the temporal and financial costs, creating a significant "parenthood penalty" for women.

China's policy to boost birth rates by subsidizing IVF is inherently flawed because it limits access to married, heterosexual couples. This restriction directly contradicts the societal trend of women marrying and having children later in life, which is a primary driver of rising infertility, thus hobbling the policy's effectiveness.

In a clear signal of its pro-natalist policy, the Chinese government is ending a 33-year tax exemption on contraceptives while simultaneously making matchmaking services tax-free. This carrot-and-stick approach aims to socially engineer a higher birth rate to combat its demographic crisis.

Contrary to the idea that poverty lowers birth rates, the primary driver in developed nations is increased opportunity for women. Access to education, careers, and contraception provides fulfilling alternatives to motherhood, naturally leading to fewer children per woman.