Gender preferences and demand for preconception sex selection: a survey among pregnant women in Pakistan

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In its recent report 'Human Reproductive Technologies and the Law', the House of Commons' Select Committee on Science and Technology called for greater efforts to establish the potential demographic impact of sex selection across all sectors of UK society. Given the well-known preference for boys over girls among some communities, there is concern that a readily available service for social sex selection may upset the balance of the sexes. Of particular interest are the gender preferences and the demand for sex selection among Pakistanis. METHODS: We conducted a social survey on gender preferences and potential demand for preconception sex selection among 301 pregnant women in Karachi, Pakistan, using a self-report questionnaire consisting of 14 questions. RESULTS: About 41.5% wish to have a family with an equal number of boys and girls; 3.3% would like to have only boys, 1.0% only girls, 27.6% more boys than girls and 4.3% more girls than boys, and 22.3% stated that they do not care about the sex composition of their family. Whereas 6.3% could imagine employing cytometric sperm separation for social sex selection, 76.1% could not and 17.6% were undecided. About 27.2% felt that social sex selection ought to be legal, 48.8% thought it ought to be illegal and 23.9% were undecided. CONCLUSIONS: Although Pakistani women do show a statistically significant preference for boys over girls, the number of women willing to subject themselves to cytometric sperm separation appears to be too small to cause a severe imbalance of the sexes. However, further research among British citizens of Pakistani origin is needed to establish whether sex selection poses a serious threat to the sex ratio of UK communities.

Gender preference and awareness regarding sex determination among antenatal mothers attending a medical college of eastern India

“…Likewise in a survey conducted in Pakistan [17], significant gender preference for boys over girls (27.6% vs. 4.3%) was found out. Stathum et al [18] in 1993 reported 42% gender preference among British pregnant women.…”

Female feticide in India: A social evil

“…The reason for this were a contimation of a family name, old age support, societal responsibilities probably better dealt with by a male etc. Pakistani women also have a statistically significant preference for boys over girls.27.6% preferred to have more boys than girls, whereas, only 4.3% desired to have more girls than boys 5 . As study in an urban tehsil, Faisalabad revealed that 26.67% pregnant patients desired a male child while 24.00% desired a female child and 49.33% had no opinion 6 Puri et al mentioned that 65.5% women felt that sex determination was a crime and 11.65% were aware about sex determination methods 7 .…”

Migrant Remittances in South Asia

“…A couple is less likely to proceed having another child if they already have boys in the family (Khan and Sirajeldin, 1977). Although Pakistani women do show a statistically significant preference for sons over daughters, the number of women who will be willing to subject themselves to cytometric sperm separation appears to be too small to cause a severe imbalance of the sexes (Zubair et al, 2007).…”

“…Preference for boys has historically been found an important determinant of fertility in South Asia (Rahman and DaVanzo, 1993;Clark, 2000;Zubair et al, 2007). A couple is less likely to proceed having another child if they already have boys in the family (Khan and Sirajeldin, 1977).…”