India's illegal sex-determination clinics come under fire

Abstract

This article reports the national campaign of India against illegal antenatal sex determination tests and female feticide. The Medical Council of India has conducted investigations from four New Delhi doctors accused of performing illegal antenatal sex determination tests. This case was used to develop a penalty for convicted doctors and ultrasonographers providing sex determination tests for abortion purposes. This was the initial step taken by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against female feticide since the banning of such examinations five years ago. A letter addressed to 1000 gynecologists and ultrasonographers in Delhi have been circulated by IMA informing them of their legal duties since the members of the medical team are believed to be primarily responsible for the persistence of an illegal sex determination tests. Also IMA have asked the aid of law enforcement agencies media and nongovernmental organizations in the implementation of the ban. IMA noted that many of the 20000 clinics throughout the country have been operated by unqualified staff offering illegal sex determination examinations and are unregistered. A widespread practice of male child preference resulted in a decrease of the female/male ratio from 935:1000 in 1981 to 927:1000 in 1991 with a more significant difference noted in northern Indian communities.