- According to the United Nations Population Fund, lack of birth control options and knowledge are the key components to unwanted population growth. Studies show that nearly two-thirds of the women across the world are poorly educated about their reproductive capabilities and how to control them. A lack of government and social progress in educating these women has led to generations of women failing to use birth control methods to limit the birth rate. This causes many women to breed more children than are needed in their country or region.
- Many of the world's religions promote the non-use of birth control methods. The Catholic church, one of the largest in the world, condemns birth control as a way to prevent pregnancy. Religions such as Islam and Mormonism promote the idea of producing as many offspring as possible. Most of the doctrines in these religions are based on the idea that the deity they worship will prevent or support the birth of a child. In this way, the religions act as a birth control method of belief. Unfortunately, many of the members of these organizations end up producing many offspring, more than are needed to replace the mother and father.
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In certain countries with low population rates, there are financial incentives to produce more children. In the United States, tax deductions were put in place to assist parents with the day-to-day costs of raising a child. A survey by the "New York Times" showed that nearly 75 percent of Americans take these deductions into consideration when determining how many children to have.
In addition, social welfare programs have been implemented in the U.S., Canada and Europe that give more money to those people with a number of children they cannot financially support. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women receiving financial support from a welfare system have three times as many children as women who do not. A study conducted by the New York Health and Human Services Division has shown that there is a direct correlation between women achieving a higher education and the lack of using the welfare system. The study further showed that women with a higher education had fewer children. -
Naturally, 20 percent of couples have trouble conceiving children. These problems can stem from a wide range of problems caused by the reproductive systems of either the potential father or the mother. Modern science has found ways to stimulate the reproductive system in many ways to better ensure a pregnancy. Drawbacks with this procedure, however, is the chance for increased birth rates in many women.
Most fertility drugs and procedures use a process that makes more eggs fall into the uterus or allows multiple fertilized eggs to be injected. According to the Baby Center, located in San Francisco, 1 in 32 births using fertility drugs and procedures results in multiple children. This rate has increased by 400 percent since the 1980s. Triplets, quadruplets and more are being born more commonly than ever before. Also, the couples that are producing children traditionally did not, adding more children to the population. - The most significant and growing factor in population growth is the mortality rate among humans. In most third world countries the mortality rate for children is 1 in 10 according to the World Health Organization. This has been decreased significantly since the 20th century in which the rate was 3 in 10. Adult mortality rate has also dropped significantly. World wide, there are roughly 9 births for every death. In the U.S. that figure is 14 to 1. This is caused by improved medicines and less wars and destruction than in previous centuries. During the early 1900s, the average life expectancy was 40 years old. By the early 21st century, it rose to 66.
