The Use of Pre‐natal Diagnostic Techniques for Sex Selection: The Indian Scene

Abstract

The use of pre-natal diagnostic techniques only for sex determination followed by termination of pregnancy on a finding of female foetus, is an atrocious and unethical practice. The bias against a female has been stretched further back: from cradle to grave, it is now from womb to the grave. One cannot however ignore the conditions of the society which breed and encourage such practices. A girl suffers neglect and discrimination right from childhood; she is tortured, harassed and maltreated after marriage. At the work place she is exploited. A widow or a divorcee is looked down upon by the family and the society. All these things make her life miserable and not worth existence....

Social sex selection and the balance of the sexes: Empirical evidence from Germany, the UK, and the US

“…Since girls are a liability and boys are an asset, Indian couples have a strong incentive for seeking sex selective abortions. Consequently, many medical practitioners offering ultrasound scans for sex determination have taken advantage of the excessive dowry demands by advertising their services with the slogan "Invest 500 Rupees now, save 500,000 Rupees later" [38]! In China, the problems arising from a severly distorted sex ratio seem to be even worse.…”

Choosing the Sexual Orientation of Children

“…Since sexselection procedures have become available in India, they have been widely used, and the sex ratio has decreased. 40 Some women in India admit that they might prefer to have a daughter if the conditions for women in their society were different, but, given the abuse and oppression that women experience, they prefer to have sons.…”

Das Problem der Behindertenselektion bei der pr�natalen Diagnostik und der Pr�implantationsdiagnostik

“…Zunächst ist zu überlegen, ob sich ein solches Verbot aus den Grundrechten der betroffenen Embryonen ergibt. 27 [19]. 33 Dies ist der Fokus der angelsächsischen Debatten; vgl., statt vieler, Gems ([10], S. 207) im Anschluß an die Herausarbeitung des Unterschieds von "the mainline positive eugenics of the past" und "libertarian positive eugenics": "Again, the type of eugenic advice that the eugenic counselor may end up dishing out is not so much to suggest possible improvements parents may incorporate in their children, but to suggest that out of a sense of duty to others, they do not incorporate this or that ‚improvement.…”

“…11 Retabuisierung der frühesten Stadien menschlichen Lebens gekommen. 19 Die Konsequenzen für das Diskriminierungsthema sind offenbar diese: Wenn die Schwangere und mit ihr der ausführende Arzt straflos zwischen behinderten und nichtbehinderten Föten differenzieren dürfen, falls ihnen die Differenz in den ersten zwölf Wochen bekannt wird, ist prima facie nicht einzusehen, warum sie dasselbe nicht mehr tun dürfen, falls ihnen die Differenz erst später bekannt wird. Ein inzwischen gewachsenes Schutzrecht des Kindes steht dem ja angeblich nicht entgegen.…”