From 1 January, contraceptives will be subject to a 13% VAT rate – part of a carrot-and-stick approach by the government to increase births

China is set to impose a value-added tax (VAT) on condoms and other contraceptives for the first time in three decades, as the country tries to boost its birthrate and modernise its tax laws.

From 1 January, condoms and contraceptives will be subject to a 13% VAT rate – a tax from which the goods have been exempt since China introduced nationwide VAT in 1993.

The measure was buried in a VAT law passed in 2024 in an effort to modernise China’s tax regime. VAT accounts for nearly 40% of China’s total tax revenue.

  • antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    5 days ago

    I don’t know who will find this information helpful but I wish I knew when I was young.

    A woman is only fertile during about 5 days each lunar cycle. Unfortunately those days are the most fun but the other 24 are safer.

    Testicles descend when it’s hot to cool down because heat kills sperm. If you buy a microscope, and dunk your sack in hot water for a few minutes each day, you can become temporarily sterile and verify it with the microscope.

    Finally, there’s a point you can press just in front of your anus that suppresses ejaculation. Any one of those things by itself would be risky but all three and it would be nearly impossible to fertilize an egg.

      • antlion@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        4 days ago

        Why is it bad advice to give men the means to control their reproduction without any outside party involvement? Because nobody profits off of it? The article is about limiting access to birth control. I’m simply saying, if your government does it you can still have safe(er) sex. No hormones or abortions needed.

        • TheTimeKnife@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          Because the advice is BAD. You have no idea what you are talking about and if you keep playing doctor you will hurt someone. Medical degrees are not a scam to get money from you. They are to protect the public from people like you.

        • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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          4 days ago

          Why is it bad advice to give men the means to control their reproduction without any outside party involvement?

          Because your advice is “naturalistic” shit. It’s not only famously unreliable at controlling pregnancies but it also offers zero protection from STDs.

    • comador @lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      or you could just, you know, get a 16 minute vasectomy procedure and bypass all that.

      Fully reversable if you ever want kids, truly a better option and something I wished I knew when I was younger.

      • BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world
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        5 days ago

        If the Chinese goverment is increasing taxes on condoms to force people to give birth more, I doubt they will let men get vasectomies easily

        • comador @lemmy.world
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          5 days ago

          Best part about being in Asia is you’re a couple hour flight to Thailand, Singapore, India, Malaysia, and South Korea where such things like medical tourism is common for Chinese.

    • Alloi@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      might as well tell them to make like a couch in a college dorm, and pull out.

    • rouxdoo@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      “A woman is only fertile during about 5 days each lunar cycle. Unfortunately those days are the most fun but the other 24 are safer.”

      Can confirm that these are the best days to get wiggy with it - ask me how I know…kids.