Perspectives of medical interns regarding female feticide and declining sex ratio in India

Abstract

Background:Female feticide, skewed sex ratio, and its attendant social evils have grave ethical undertones for medical professionals and our commitment to save lives. A concerted effort by all is essential against female feticide.Aim:This study was to assess the knowledge of female feticide, declining sex ratio, and corrective measures among medical interns.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 79 medical interns. Data werecollected with the help of predesigned structured questionnaire. Chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Z tests were used to test the significance level.Results:Knowledge of current sex ratio was significantly better among female interns than male interns. Majority of interns opined that creating awareness is an effective measure to combat declining sex ratio and only 33 interns had correct knowledge regarding all measures. Only 37.9% of interns knew all the legal indications for use of prenatal diagnostic techniques. However, 81% of interns were aware of punishments mentioned for violation of the Act. Mean score of knowledge was 22.06 among males and 24.4 among females.Conclusion:The findings in our study underline the need to sensitize doctors regardingevery aspect of Pre-Conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act and selective sex determination.

Awareness about PCPNDT act among undergraduate students of a medical college in Puducherry

“…Our findings were consistent with other similar study done by Avachat S et al in western Maharashtra, where among 79 interns, 41.9% of male and 25.7% of female interns were aware of female feticide and declining sex ratio. 10 But, another study by Sindhu TK et al, among MBBS students of a medical college in Bhatinda, reported that 98.9% students had heard of female feticide. 11 Similarly in a study conducted by Subitha et al, at a teaching institute in Mumbai, among hundred (III MBBS Part I) students, 98% knew about prevailing sex ratio.…”

Public Health Interventions toStabilize theAsymmetrical Sex Ratio in India

“…Sex ratio (i.e. the total number of females per thousand males), plays a significant role not only in epidemiological studies, but also depicts the socioeconomic and cultural pattern prevalent in the society [2]. Estimates of the latest census in India suggest a negative trend in the child sex ratio (viz.…”

“…This indirectly will negate the impact of a skewed sex ratio in the country as a whole, and thus a comprehensive strategy should be formulated to address all potential risk factors [2]. It should essentially consist of measures to create awareness among people through the use of media & behavior change communication strategies [1,2]; periodic sensitization sessions for the medical practitioners to curb the practice of sex identification, illegal abortion & feticide [6]; orientation of medical students regarding precise indications of prenatal diagnostic techniques [2]; development of guidelines to allow rationale usage of radiological tools [6]; creating a team of qualified professionals to supervise the use of radiological technology [2,6]; and quick & stern punishment of the guilty persons [6].…”

“…In accordance with the achievement of Millennium Development Goal -3 to promote gender equality and simultaneously ensure empowerment of women, the need of the hour is to develop a coordinated response involving all the stakeholders -policy makers, law enforcers, medical fraternity, media, non-governmental agencies, and the community itself [1,2]. This indirectly will negate the impact of a skewed sex ratio in the country as a whole, and thus a comprehensive strategy should be formulated to address all potential risk factors [2].…”

“…This includes factors like socio-cultural or religious beliefs or political opinion in shaping the attitude towards women in India (viz. preference for a boy is so deep rooted that women also prefer to have sons as giving birth to a son gives them social status and acceptance within the husband's family; pregnant women are often pressured by their husbands and members of his family, sometimes including verbal and physical abuse, to undergo prenatal sex determination and to abort the fetus if it is a female) [6,7]; demand for smaller families [8]; parents cognition [9]; history of recurrent miscarriages [10]; maternal migration [11]; poor awareness among health workers about indications of prenatal diagnostic techniques [2]; ineffective utilization of mass media to spread awareness [1,2]; preference for assisted reproductive techniques [12]; abuse of prenatal diagnostic technique [2]; practice of female feticide [6]; illegal abortions by doctors/untrained persons [6]; unethical practices by doctors [2]; loopholes in existing laws [13]; and ineffectiveness of the regulatory bodies to punish the offenders [6]. The impact of this skewed sex ratio (male-biased population) has shown significant influence on the incidence of crime as well as on the success of marriage [14].…”