As the procedures determining the sex of unborn baby during initial stages of conception are getting popular, the controversy between individual’s personal rights and ethical issues associated with abortion of undesired baby in brewing.
Feminist groups claim that the process of sex selection is dangerously biased against females, as it has been observed that most frequently it is the female fetus which is aborted not the male.
Several Asian cultures places a premium on boy’s head and their birth is considered a gift to rejoice. On the other hand girls are considered inferior and burden on the family. During the ancient times the new born girls were killed either by choking or poisoning because of several convictions.
They were considered to bring disgrace to the family as they grew up. Monetary considerations in the dowry.
“The women who give birth to girls are ridiculed, physically assaulted, mentally tortured and even killed.
seeking society at the time of their marriages were also the reasons for lukewarm response to their births. The boy on the other hand is considered to be the guardian of the family, bread earner and one who can carry on the family name. They are supposed to care for their parents in their old age.
The women who give birth to girls are ridiculed, physically assaulted, mentally tortured/and even killed. ‘The stories of a man marrying second time because his previous wife failed to give birth to a boy are commonly heard. The women in Asian cultures especially in India under intense pressure when they become pregnant fear they may give birth to a girl.
Latest advances in modern technology can help to determine the sex of a baby during the initial stages of pregnancy. Genetic testing was originally designed to identify serious disorders like TaySachs disease, Downs Syndrome, muscular dystrophy and Cystic Fibrosis. But more lately such test, are performed to determine the sex of the baby and such a practice is condemned by ethicists as they feel “female is not a disease.”
The sex determination of unborn baby is done by two methods. One is through amniocentesis introduced in mid-70 as the first genetic testing technique but it can’t be performed until 2nd trimester of pregnancy. An increasingly popular method chronic vilu sampling (CVS) in which cells for testing are drawn from planteau can be one at about 10 weeks at which point women usually don’t look visibly pregnant and feel more comfortable aborting. As both methods are equally safe, according to recent publication of a National Institute of Health Study, CVS is likely to become even more popular.
A new technique called sperm selection or sperm
“It is widely felt that the procedure of sex selection will gain further popularity as the public becomes more aware of it in male orientation societies.
enrichment allows the parents to choose the sex of their child even before conception, In this process the sperm of undesired sex an segregated and the rest an implanted in the woman’s uterus through invitro implantation. Dr. Verlinkly an Illinois geneticist who applied this method on handful of couples, feels, that a couple involved in this method can have a baby of desired sex with 95% certainty.
Amniocentesis is carried frequently in Asian cultures and after the sex of this baby is known the undesired babies overwhelming girls are aborted. This is done when fetus is 45 months old, One can easily find advertisement in this newspaper about the availability of the procedure. They physicians performing such procedures report it is financially lucrative. It is widely felt that the procedure of sex selection will gain further popularity as the public becomes more aware of it in male one nation societies. This may result in indiscriminate abortion of female fetus and the point may be reached when only boys will be allowed to be born, feels a social worker from Delhi, adding it is a sophisticate mass murder of one sex through modern technology.
This may turn the balance against women, which: ultimately may cause the downfall of entire mankind. Ambitious parents should be discouraged and voices have been raised to stop this gross and immoral use of modern technology through legal rulings.
“Experts in America feel that sex selection through CVS or Amniocentesis is far from epidemic.
Fearing a disaster various women’s groups and human right groups have launched a campaign to force the governments to take immediate action to bar such tests. Their efforts have met some success in India, for example Maharashtra state government bowed to the pressure of several committed social workers and has banned such procedures almost a year ago. Haryana government is also carefully examining the situation and it is expected that a bill will be passed in the near future to curb this menace, A Union Cabinet member of Rajiv Gandhi’s party was booed by Indian Mahila Manch activists when he made a remark favoring sex selection at a film festival in Bombay few weeks ago.
Experts in America feel that sex selection through CVS or Amniocentesis is far from epidemic. However, there are few instances in every clinic performing such procedures that the couple aborted because they did ‘want particular sex of child, But still a sense prevails in America that “Having a child is not like going to the auto dealer, and deciding what color you want, and what kind of engine.”
Article extracted from this publication >> April 21, 1989
