As Russia celebrated its third "Day of the Family, Love and Faithfulness" on 8 July 2010, certain demographers expressed concern at the country's low birth rate, with 67 abortions performed for every 100 births. This huge country only has 26 million children. Nearly 20% of Russian couples today do not have children and over 2 million abortions are carried out every year. Most abortions are performed on very young women: in 2009, nearly 90,000 abortions involved women under the age of 19 according to Pavel Astakhov, ombudsman for children's rights to the Russian President. The Government keeps quiet about this problem, said Elena Mizoulina, Chairperson of the Committee for Family, Women and Children's Affairs at the Russian Parliament.

During the Soviet period, statistics show that women "underwent an average of 5 abortions in the early stages of pregnancy". According to journalist Olga Sobolevskaïa, the reasons for the current high abortion rate are not necessarily socio-economic. Even though 2009 had the highest birth rate since 1991 (1,764,000), demographers remain cautious. Whereas State social welfare and financial aid encourages families to have children, "the economic situation only has a decisive impact on family planning in 8% of families", said Sergei Zakharov, deputy director of the Institute of Demography at Moscow's Higher School of Economics.

It is primarily "ideological reasons" which, for almost 20 years now, have motivated many couples' refusal to have children. Since "Western values" have been imported into Russia, Sergei Zakharov explains that "people who are of an age to have children now have other priorities, such as their career and self-fulfilment". The transmission of "family stereotypes" also explains the drop in birth rates: former only children, i.e. the majority of today's adults, probably don't want to have several children. Generally speaking, the birth of a third child is considered undesirable.

To prevent abortions, certain experts are calling for psychologists, doctors and social workers to intervene actively amongst young people in schools, as well as in gynaecology-obstetrics departments and psychological assistance services. Different Russian regions have organisations which support pregnant women in crisis situations.

Private abortion clinics currently perform abortions "relentlessly", 24/7, and "adverts for these 'factories' are all over most of the media", to the extent that it would not be incorrect to say that "abortions in the early stages of pregnancy continue to be the main family planning method in Russia".

For Elena Mizoulina, it is unacceptable to be able to "have abortions practically without restrictions up to 12 weeks". She spoke of concrete steps to reduce abortions, such as making women listen to their baby's heartbeat. An inter-ministerial group is currently working on a draft bill.