Population control is the practice of limiting population increase, usually by reducing the birth rate. The practice has sometimes been voluntary, as a response to poverty, or out of religious ideology, but in some times and places it has been government-mandated. This is generally conducted to improve quality of life for a society or as a solution to overpopulation. While population control can involve measures that improve the lives of poor people giving them greater control of their reproduction downloads.asp" target="_blank">http://www.populationconcern.org.uk/free_downloads.asp some programs have exposed them to exploitation.
Given the nature of human reproductive biology, control of the population increase implies the use of one or more of the following practices:
The method(s) chosen can be strongly influenced by the religious and cultural beliefs of the community's members. Intermittent failures of the other methods can lead to the use of abortion or infanticide, in which case it is regarded as a necessary drastic last resort. A specific practice may be allowed or mandated by law in one country while prohibited or severely restricted in another, an indicator of the controversy this topic generates.
