Starting January 1, 2026, Beijing will impose a tax on contraceptives, risking limiting access to condoms in a country where 97% of new HIV cases are transmitted sexually.

Amid historically low birth rates and economic pressures from its aging population, China will eliminate a decades-old tax exemption on contraceptives.

Starting January 1, 2026, Beijing will impose a tax on contraceptives, risking limiting access to condoms in a country where 97% of new HIV cases are transmitted sexually.