Reproductive Health Certificate

This is a reproductive health service certificate issued free of charge by the grassroots health department to people of childbearing age (18-49 years old, regardless of gender). It is not a compulsory administrative certificate and is not linked to statutory matters such as birth registration, household registration declaration, and maternity subsidy application. After application, the certificate can be used to enjoy more than 10 public health services in the corresponding jurisdiction, including free pre-pregnancy checkups, two cancers/prostate cancer screenings, folic acid distribution, and contraceptive consultation. Whether or not to apply is entirely voluntary.

Last week, I went with my best friend to the community hospital to get folic acid. The nurse at the front desk casually asked if she wanted to apply for a reproductive health certificate. She was completely confused at the time. She took out her mobile phone and searched for ten minutes for "Can I apply for household registration without a reproductive health certificate?" She thought it was a hard threshold necessary to have a baby. She almost filled out the form on the spot, but I stopped her and asked a few questions before she understood the situation. To be honest, most people have a deep misunderstanding of this certificate. They either think it is a useless "weird certificate", or they equate it with the birth certificate, which is actually completely different.

There are now two completely different voices in the industry regarding the positioning of this certificate. Most grassroots health care workers think this is a convenient "service card": in the past, for free cancer screening, you had to go to the neighborhood committee to get a certificate of residence, and for pre-pregnancy check-ups, you had to report to the street, and even to receive free condoms, you had to register your personal information. Now with this card, you can go directly to the aisle by scanning the code, saving a lot of errands. However, many people think it is unnecessary: ​​there are already enough procedures related to childbirth, and this certificate is not compulsory. If you apply for it in another city, you will not be able to use it. It is purely unnecessary. Both statements are reasonable. After all, the degree of informatization in different places is not even the slightest bit different.

My cousin and sister-in-law also encountered related pitfalls when they were preparing for pregnancy last year. At first, I heard from friends that the certificate was useless, so I didn’t apply for it. Later, I went to a community hospital for a pre-pregnancy check-up. I originally had to pay more than 260 yuan, but the nurse casually mentioned that it would be free of charge if I got the certificate. It took 10 minutes to fill out a form and do a basic registration. Not only was the examination fee waived, but I also received half a year's worth of folic acid and 3 boxes of free contraceptives. Later, my cousin's free Tang screening and some free newborn screenings were booked using this certificate, which saved me a thousand dollars. Of course, there are also friends who have applied for a certificate that is completely useless. For example, a colleague applied for a certificate in his hometown last year and then came to work in Beijing. The local benefits were not used at all, which was equivalent to a wasted trip.

What many people don’t know is that many first- and second-tier cities have now integrated the functions of reproductive health certificates into electronic social security cards or local health APPs. There is no need to apply for a separate physical certificate. You can call up the relevant qualifications by clicking on it, and just go to the green channel to make an appointment for free screening. However, there are still many third- and fourth-tier cities that are still issuing physical certificates, and the information has not been connected. This is also the point where everyone complains the most. Many people are still worried about privacy issues. After all, the background of the certificate is bound to personal reproductive health examination records. In fact, the health department has clearly stipulated that all information is encrypted and stored, and only medical staff authorized by you can retrieve it. However, if you really care, it will not matter if you don't do it.

Looking at industry discussions some time ago, some experts suggested merging reproductive health certificates and birth registration service certificates to reduce the number of services required by the public. However, some scholars in the public health field objected. They felt that reproductive health services are not just for people who have children. Unmarried people and people who do not plan to have children can also get free screenings. After the merger, it is easy for everyone to mistakenly think that only those who want to have a baby need to get one, which is not conducive to the popularization of reproductive health services. The two sides are quarreling quite fiercely.

Talking back to the choices of ordinary people, I was unable to get a free HPV screening last year. I was reminded by a community nurse that I could make an appointment directly with this certificate, so I rushed to get it. It took 15 minutes and I also had a free routine gynecological examination. This year, I also used the certificate to make an appointment directly for the two cancer screenings, which saved me a lot of worry. But if you have no intention of using these public services, or if you are planning to change your city life in the near future, it doesn’t matter if you don’t go through it. No one will rush you, and it won’t affect you in going through any other fertility-related procedures.

To put it bluntly, this certificate is a voucher for public services. If you can get the corresponding benefits, just apply for it. If you find it troublesome and don’t need it, just ignore it. There is no need to worry about it. It’s that simple.