Antinatalist Attitudes and their Implications for Reproductive Health Services: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Introduction: Fertility reduction has become as a critical demographic problem in Saudi Arabia, accompanied by fast-paced changes in society, education, and economy. This review aims to explore antinatalism as an emerging conceptual lens for understanding hesitant, negative or conditional attitudes toward childbearing in Saudi Arabia, without making assumptions about the relationship between antinatalism and fertility decline.

Objective: This review aims to explore antinatalism as an emerging conceptual lens for understanding hesitant, negative or conditional attitudes toward childbearing in Saudi Arabia, without making assumptions about the relationship between antinatalism and fertility decline.

Methodology: We conducted an integrative review at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia, from June 2025 to March 2026, because empirical studies explicitly addressing antinatalism in Saudi studies remain scarce, while evidence on this topic is available in quantitative, qualitative, and interpretive research. The review analysed the literature on fertility attitudes, childbearing intentions, delayed motherhood, family planning, contraceptive practices, reproductive awareness, and women’s reproductive experiences in Saudi Arabia.

Result: The review found that there is no substitutional evidence for explicit antinatalism is Saudi Arabia. Reproductive reluctance appears to be influenced by a complex interaction of life-stage, education, employment,
occupational prospects, fertility awareness, family and community expectations, partner influence, and concerns about responsible parenthood. It was revealed that Saudi attitudes toward reproduction have become more oriented toward preparation and readiness than against parenthood.

Conclusion: Antinatalism in Saudi can be viewed as an evolving discourse rather than an explanatory framework for low fertility rates.