"A contraceptive method like any other"

Hannah (name changed by editor) has known since childhood that she never wanted to have children. The 27-year-old lives with her cat in a two-room apartment in the east of the country, where she invites us in for a coffee before her lunch shift. At the age of about ten, she says, it was already clear to her. The older she got, the more strongly this view manifested itself, she says. At the age of 26, she decided to have herself sterilized. In February of this year, she underwent surgery.

There were countless reasons that led to this decision. Significant motives represent pregnancy and birth itself. The idea of having to carry and give birth to a child makes Hannah shudder a bit. She also does not want to have to care for another, awkward human being. "I've never seen myself in the role of a mother, and I don't want to have to bear the responsibility for another human being, " she explains. Another reason for her decision is climate change. Hannah doesn't want her offspring to suffer from its effects. She is also concerned about the cost of having children. In fact, she would rather spend her money on herself and use it to finance vacations. And in order to be able to travel now and then, there has to be a certain degree of spontaneity in her life.

Hannah often hears that it's normal for a young woman not to want children yet and that many women grow into the role of mother as soon as they have their own baby. However, she finds such statements somewhat inappropriate: "Why would I make such a significant and irreversible decision if I'm not 100 per cent sure I really want to have this child?" Another comment Hannah often has to listen to is that she just has to meet the right man and she will change her mind at the latest then. "That certainly won't be the case, " she assures.