In Kashmir, conversations about health usually begin and end with diabetes, heart disease, or blood pressure. But in recent years, another story is emerging, and it is infertility. It is, however, personal, painful, and for many, still too shameful to discuss.

The numbers tell us what people hesitate to say out loud. Kashmir's fertility rate has dropped to 1.4, well below the 2.1 needed to keep a population stable. This makes it one of the lowest in the country. Behind the statistic are couples spending years trying to conceive, women undergoing treatment in silence, and men unwilling to admit that the problem may not lie only with their wives. For a society that once celebrated early marriages and large households, this is an unsettling shift.

Experts trace this to social change. For example, late marriages. Weighed down by years of education, unstable jobs, and soaring wedding expenses, young people are forced to marry late. This leads to decline in fertility narrowing the chances of parenthood.

Lifestyle is another factor. Processed foods, smoking, stress, and sedentary routines are also contributing factors: No, wonder, doctors across the valley now speak of infertility as a daily reality in their clinics.

Scientists are also blaming the use of powerful pesticides in orchards as a factor, Today, many orchards receive up to 20 chemical applications a season, including plant growth regulators (PGRs) and systemic pesticides. These are not only stronger but also more harmful. Many of these chemicals interfere with hormones and reproductive health. According to reports, doctors are seeing the fallout in terms of thyroid dysfunction, PCOS, early menopause, and unexplained infertility.

What makes this crisis worse is the silence around it. Shame and stigma stop couples from seeking help. Women are too often blamed, even though men account for nearly half of infertility cases.

The health condition demands awareness, compassion, and public policy. Regulating harmful farm chemicals, expanding fertility care, and normalizing open conversations are urgent steps.

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