Can 'lucky' tampons help Taiwan's birth rate? Pregnant women urged to hand over sanitary towels to those trying to conceive as good luck charms to boost births



Government trying to boost birth rate

Latest campaign sees them encouraging pregnant woman to give out unused sanitary goods

Superstitious Taiwanese believe it increases chances of women conceiving

Birth rate increased 59% to 29,498 in 2012

The Taiwanese government is encouraging pregnant woman to hand out unused sanitary towels and tampons to those trying to conceive in attempt to boost births- they see it as a 'lucky charm'

Celtic Druids believed mistletoe had the power to bestow life and fertility, whilst the lotus flower is the highest symbol of fertility in the Hindu culture.

In Taiwan, the symbol of luck is a little less glamorous.

The Taipei City’s Department of Civil Affairs is calling on pregnant women to donate unused maxi pads or tampons to give out as a good luck charm to people hoping to get pregnant.

According to the Taipei Times, Taiwanese tradition says that pregnant women can share their fertility luck with others by passing on their unused sanitary goods.

Speaking about the bizarre tradition, department commissioner Huang Lu Ching-ju said: ' We hope that Taipei residents who want to get pregnant will be blessed by the lucky pads and that their wishes will come true.'

And it seems that some city residents have had some experience with the good luck charm.

Civil servant at the Shilin District Office, Hsu Chia-ying - who is expecting her second child next month - told the paper that many of her friends had asked for her unused pads or tampons to try and share her fertility luck.



She also said that some people had been looking to buy them online.

Datong District Office director Yang Yen-ying added: 'I hope that female residents who want to get pregnant will be blessed through this activity.'

The number of newborns is on the rise in Taiwan and increased 59 per cent to 29,498 in 2012 after launching the birthrate promotion program three years ago

In 2011, Taiwan's government acknowledged that its birth rate declined, even as it introduced a series of campaigns to encourage people to have more babies.

The plummeting rate was one of the lowest in the world and in January 2012 president Ma Ying-jeou proclaimed it 'a serious national security threat'.

While most women aspire to have two or more children, they marry later – or not at all – and are more likely to divorce.



Many women have their first child in their thirties and then don't want another baby or are unable to have one.



The latest campaign follows others including stipends for giving birth as well as offering childcare subsidies.

However, according to the department, the number of newborns is on the rise and increased 59 per cent to 29,498 in 2012 after launching the birthrate promotion program three years ago.