With a fear of childlessness hanging over their head, many couples decide to go against tradition and have babies before getting married.

Explaining their decision, they said that their relations are serious so it is not important whether they have a baby before or after marriage. They say it is better to have baby before marriage because the infertility rate is very high now.

“We are ready to get married so we decided to not use contraceptive devices. Whenever my girlfriend is pregnant, we will immediately organize the wedding,” said Toan, a construction engineer in Hanoi.

It is important that his parents also back his decision so his girlfriend doesn’t feel great pressure.

However, many couples are not lucky to have a baby even after forgoing contraceptive devices for a long time.

Infertility is on the rise in Vietnam. The rate was eight percent in 2010, said Deputy Minister of Health, Director of the Central Obstetrics Hospital Nguyen Viet Tien.

At the country’s largest obstetric hospital, Tu Du Hospital in HCM City, the infertility rate is 10-15 percent. Some 40 percent of the cases occur in wives, 40 percent in husbands, 10 percent come from both sides and 10 percent are unclear.

Having a baby before marriage is no longer considered “unacceptable” in Vietnam. Many parents are glad to welcome both the daughter-in-law and the grandchild at the wedding ceremony.

Many future mothers-in-law advised their sons to be serious in relations but encouraged them to “test” the girl who they plan to get married to know that she will not be childless.

“I’m afraid that my son will marry a childless girl. It is no problem if she is pregnant before getting married,” said Mrs. Nguyen Kim Chi, 50, from Hanoi.

This behavior is understandable because many families are too poor to treat infertility. At obstetrics hospitals, many couples spend dozens of thousands USD but they could not have a baby.

Besides natural reasons, many young couples are childless because of the wrong lifestyle in the past.

Doctor Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, from the Central Obstetrics Hospital, said that having sex liberally and lack of knowledge of contraception has led to an alarming rise in abortion, especially among students and youth.

It is advised to take urgent contraceptive medicines just four times a month but many girls take four pills a week, doctor Minh said.

Vietnam is one of the three countries that have the highest abortion rate in the world. The country has around 70,000 abortion cases a year, with 20 percent made by juveniles.

N.Anh