'We Can't Even Afford to Have Sex': China's New Condom Tax Draws Ire.

The article focuses on China’s recent removal of the tax exemption on contraceptives, imposing a 13% value-added tax on products like condoms starting January 1, as part of a broader tax reform amid efforts to address falling birth rates. While the government frames this change as an administrative adjustment, critics argue it disproportionately burdens women, single individuals, and working-class people, potentially limiting access to affordable contraception and raising public health concerns. Experts note that economic pressures and lifestyle factors, rather than contraceptive costs, primarily influence fertility decisions in China, where the cost of raising children remains high and birth rates continue to decline. The policy has sparked social media backlash, with some viewing it as a continuation of state control over reproductive choices rather than an effective demographic strategy.