Childfree refers to a couple's decision not to have children, whether biological, adopted, or otherwise. Childfree living is becoming more popular in Europe and has spread to Indonesia. After several public figures decided not to have children, the term "childfree" became popular in early 2020.1

There are various reasons why people do not have children after marriage, so they choose not to have children. Here are some of the reason why couples choose not to have children: 2,3

> Dislike for children

> Financial difficulties that make proper child rearing impossible.

> Health issues that make having children impossible.

> Want to focus more on a career

> Feeling unable to be a good parent

> Childhood trauma that made them unwilling to be parents

> Women do not want their body shape to change

> Just want to live life as a couple

> Suffering from a mental illness that makes raising children impossible

A childless marriage can have a number of negative health consequences. According to research, women who do not have children are more likely to have poor health later in life. Having no children increases your chances of developing breast cancer. Compared to pregnant and lactating women, the risk of developing breast cancer will be reduced due to hormonal changes during these two stages of life. 2

Furthermore, women in their golden years who do not have children die at a younger age. According to data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study, childless women aged 40 and up had a higher overall mortality rate than women with children.1

Feelings of loneliness can worsen as you get older. Couples who don't have children, don't have someone who can be relied on to take care of them in their old age.4 Negative stigma from society and even their own family can create opportunities for social pressure to arise for childless couples. Childfree decisions can also cause problems in marriage from a psychological standpoint.5

One of the disadvantages of being childless for a country is having a small population of productive age people in the future. As developed countries have seen, the birth rate will decrease due to education and other priorities, such as career.6

The things mentioned above can be taken into consideration in making long-term decisions for married couples. There is no right or wrong choice, the decision to have children or not is a free choice for anyone to make.

Reference:

  1. kemkes.go.id.apa-benar-childfree-berpengaruh-pada-kesehatan. Last reviewed : February 14, 2023. Available at: https://yankes.kemkes.go.id/view_artikel/2144/apa-benar-childfree-berpengaruh-pada-kesehatan
  2. Dampak Childfree atau Hidup Tanpa Anak Untuk Kesehatan. Last reviewed: March 1, 2023. Available at: https://www.sehatq.com/artikel/childfree-atau-hidup-tanpa-anak-apa-dampaknya-terhadap-kesehatan
  3. Alasan seseorang memilih untuk tidak punya anak atau childfree. Last reviewed: Augst 18, 2021. Available at: https://www.klikdokter.com/psikologi/relationship/alasan-seseorang-memilih-tidak-punya-anak-atau-childfree
  4. Plus Minus Pasutri Tidak Mau Punya Anak. Last reviewed: November 4, 2020. Available at: https://www.klikdokter.com/psikologi/psikologi-keluarga/plus-minus-saat-pasutri-tidak-mau-punya-anak
  5. Apa itu Childfree dan Bagaimana Dampaknya. Last reviewed: August 24, 2021. Available at: https://kumparan.com/berita-hari-ini/apa-itu-childfree-dan-bagaimana-dampaknya-1wOU0f0qCZR/full
  6. Childfree dan dampaknya bagi negara. Last reviewed: August 23, 2021. Available at: https://kumparan.com/novrian-pratama/childfree-dan-dampaknya-bagi-negara-1wNy0mVmVhR/full

Image Source : https://www.kompasiana.com/triyabrkh/62a9ee1cfdcdb45a3c71eae2/fenomena-child-free-yang-ramai-diikuti-kaum-muda-masa-kini