The real cause of fertility decline is not the progress made by cont raception within the population, but the wish to limit the number of births. And this "motivation" is itself influenced by economic, social, cultural, and psychological conditions, which are independent of access to contraceptive techniques. Fertility can only be affected by measures upon general living conditions. Contraception is not therefore related to demographic policy, but to social policy. However, the choice between having children or not should always be left to parents.