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16 November 2009
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Contraception

Birth control

There is no ban on birth control in Hinduism.

Some Hindu scriptures include advice on what a couple should do to promote conception - thus providing contraceptive advice to those who want it.

However, most Hindus accept that there is a duty to have a family during the householder stage of life, and so are unlikely to use contraception to avoid having children altogether.

Because India has such a high level of population, much of the discussion of birth control has focussed on the environmental issue of overpopulation rather than more personal ethics, and birth control is not a major ethical issue.

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This page was last updated 2009-08-25

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