Selective Abortion Research Articles

Dichotomies of collectivism and individualism in bioethics: Selective abortion debates and issues of self-determination in Japan and ‘the West’

This article examines the dichotomies of collectivism and individualism in the debates on the selective abortion of disabled fetuses, which have occurred over the last four decades in Japan. Disagreements in debates on abortion in Japan have often revolved around the concept of self-determination (jiko-kettei). These debates usually focus on whether this ‘foreign’ concept is appropriate in a Japanese context, as the dominant Japanese discourse stereotypes the Japanese as making decisions in a harmonious manner. Both in public debates and in academic writing on abortion, the idea that the West is devoid of harmonious collectivism is often presented in an uncritical manner.In this article, we argue that the notion of ‘self-determination’ is borrowed from ‘reverse Orientalist’ and Occidentalist discourses that portray Westerners as individualistic or ego-centric and the Japanese as collectivist. The concept of ‘self-determination’ was remolded and projected onto Japanese public and academic debates on abortion. The relevance of this concept lies in the ways in which dichotomous views of ‘Japan as harmonious’ versus ‘the West as individualistic’ influence guidelines concerning prenatal testing and its daily practice.By critically analyzing the narratives of policy-makers and academic studies on self-determination and prenatal testing, this study traces these polarizing views back to the processes of national identity formation. These processes underlie political debates and academic work associated with the search for ‘Japanese-ness’. This article further demonstrates that policy-makers’ criticism of self-determination in prenatal testing derives from gender bias, which is also related to issues of Japanese identity.This article is based on both archival and field research materials collected between 1997 and 2008. We also refer to interviews with medical doctors, policy-makers, journalists, counselors, nurses, participants in various social movements and individuals undergoing prenatal testing, taken from a total of 180 interviews.

The Israeli abortion committees' process of decision making: an ethical analysis

The Israeli law of abortions (1977) legally authorises hospital committees to decide upon women's requests for selective abortion. One of the law's clauses determines that abortions can be approved in...

Sex ratio at birth in India, its relation to birth order, sex of previous children and use of indigenous medicine.

ObjectiveSex-ratio at birth in families with previous girls is worse than those with a boy. Our aim was to prospectively study in a large maternal and child unit sex-ratio against previous birth sex and use of traditional medicines for sex selection.Main Outcome MeasuresSex-ratio among mothers in families with a previous girl and in those with a previous boy, prevalence of indigenous medicine use and sex-ratio in those using medicines for sex selection.ResultsOverall there were 806 girls to 1000 boys. The sex-ratio was 720∶1000 if there was one previous girl and 178∶1000 if there were two previous girls. In second children of families with a previous boy 1017 girls were born per 1000 boys. Sex-ratio in those with one previous girl, who were taking traditional medicines for sex selection, was 928∶1000.ConclusionEvidence from the second children clearly shows the sex-ratio is being manipulated by human interventions. More mothers with previous girls tend to use traditional medicines for sex selection, in their subsequent pregnancies. Those taking such medication do not seem to be helped according to expectations. They seem to rely on this method and so are less likely use more definitive methods like sex selective abortions. This is the first such prospective investigation of sex ratio in second children looked at against the sex of previous children. More studies are needed to confirm the findings.

The optimal dosage of lidocaine for relieving propofol injection-induced pain

Objective To investigate the optimal dosage of lidocaine for relieving propofol injection-induced pain. Methods A total of 120 women scheduled for selective artificial abortion were randomly assigned to receive either initial intravenous lidocaine of 40mg, followed by propofol of 150mg (40 women, group A ), or initial intravenous NS of 2ml, followed by lidocaine of 10mg( 40 women, group B ), or 20mg (40 women, group C), or 40mg ( 40 women, group D ) mixed with propofol of 150mg. Results The incidence rate of injection-induced pain did not differ significantly between group A and group B ( 32% vs. 27% ). There were significant differences in the rate of injection-induced pain between group C and group A and between group D and group B, while the rate did not differ significantly between group C and group D. Conclusions The effect of lidocaine mixed with propofol on pain relief is superior to that of initial lidocaine alone. Lidocaine of 20mg is the optimal dosage for relieving propofol injectioninduced pain. Key words: Lidocaine; Propofol; Injection-induced pain; Optimal dosage; Mixed solution

Why a Criminal Prohibition on Sex Selective Abortions Amounts to a Thought Crime

In a sex selective abortion, a woman aborts a fetus simply on account of the fetus’ sex. Her motivation or underlying reason for doing so may very well be sexist. She could be disposed to thinking that a female child is inferior to a male one. In a hate crime, an individual commits a crime on account of a victim’s sex, race, sexual orientation or the like. The individual may be sexist or racist in picking his victim. He or she could be disposed to thinking that one race or sex is inferior to another. I argue that while a prohibition on sex selective abortions is anomalous in a liberal, criminal legal framework, hate crime legislation may not be. The former but not the latter constitutes a thought crime. I define a thought crime as one where an agent’s motivation is not just relevant but sufficient to take an act from the domain of the non-punishable to the domain of the punishable. Ignoring a woman’s sexist motivation in procuring an abortion suddenly renders her act of abortion legal. On the other hand, discounting an agent’s bias in committing a hate motivated assault or murder does not transform the act from a punishable one to a non-punishable one. Assaulting or murdering is already a crime.

Trends in selective abortions of girls in India: analysis of nationally representative birth histories from 1990 to 2005 and census data from 1991 to 2011

India's 2011 census revealed a growing imbalance between the numbers of girls and boys aged 0-6 years, which we postulate is due to increased prenatal sex determination with subsequent selective abortion of female fetuses. We aimed to establish the trends in sex ratio by birth order from 1990 to 2005 with three nationally representative surveys and to quantify the totals of selective abortions of girls with census cohort data.We assessed sex ratios by birth order in 0·25 million births in three rounds of the nationally representative National Family Health Survey covering the period from 1990 to 2005. We estimated totals of selective abortion of girls by assessing the birth cohorts of children aged 0-6 years in the 1991, 2001, and 2011 censuses. Our main statistic was the conditional sex ratio of second-order births after a firstborn girl and we used 3-year rolling weighted averages to test for trends, with differences between trends compared by linear regression.The conditional sex ratio for second-order births when the firstborn was a girl fell from 906 per 1000 boys (99% CI 798-1013) in 1990 to 836 (733-939) in 2005; an annual decline of 0·52% (p for trend=0·002). Declines were much greater in mothers with 10 or more years of education than in mothers with no education, and in wealthier households compared with poorer households. By contrast, we did not detect any significant declines in the sex ratio for second-order births if the firstborn was a boy, or for firstborns. Between the 2001 and 2011 censuses, more than twice the number of Indian districts (local administrative areas) showed declines in the child sex ratio as districts with no change or increases. After adjusting for excess mortality rates in girls, our estimates of number of selective abortions of girls rose from 0-2·0 million in the 1980s, to 1·2-4·1 million in the 1990s, and to 3·1-6·0 million in the 2000s. Each 1% decline in child sex ratio at ages 0-6 years implied 1·2-3·6 million more selective abortions of girls. Selective abortions of girls totalled about 4·2-12·1 million from 1980-2010, with a greater rate of increase in the 1990s than in the 2000s.Selective abortion of girls, especially for pregnancies after a firstborn girl, has increased substantially in India. Most of India's population now live in states where selective abortion of girls is common.US National Institutes of Health, Canadian Institute of Health Research, International Development Research Centre, and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.

Assessment of Prevalence of Persons with Down Syndrome: A Theory-based Demographic Model

Background The Netherlands are lacking reliable empirical data in relation to the development of birth and population prevalence of Down syndrome. For the UK and Ireland there are more historical empirical data available. A theory-based model is developed for predicting Down syndrome prevalence in the Netherlands from the 1950s onwards. It is likewise applied to Ireland and the UK for the purpose of validation. Furthermore, a prediction to 2050 is constructed. Materials and Methods Maternal age births data in the general population, maternal age related risk of Down syndrome, data on selective terminations of Down syndrome pregnancies and mortality rates (from 35 studies from the 1930s until today) were obtained to create this model. Results For the Netherlands, nowadays birth prevalence is estimated at 14 per 10 000 with around 275 total annual births. The impact of selective abortion is lower than in the UK. Present Dutch Down syndrome population prevalence is estimated, according to this theory-based model, at 7.7 per 10 000 and the grand total at 12 600 individuals. The prevalence of ‘older’ persons with Down syndrome (over 40 years of age) in the Netherlands will reach a peak in 2010, a doubling compared to 1990, implying an increased demand on medical care and counselling. Validity of this theory-based model was examined by comparison with relevant available empirical data from the three countries. The model shows a good fit with historical empirical research, notably four UK and two Irish population prevalence studies and eight birth prevalence studies. Conclusions A theory-based model for Down syndrome prevalence provides supplementary data in situations with a lack of empirical material and can be used for understanding and predicting long-term developments.

Pollinator attraction to volatiles from virgin and pollinated host flowers in a yucca/moth obligate mutualism

The classic obligate pollination–seed consumption mutualism between yuccas and yucca moths has been thought to be mediated by chemical cues, but empirical data on pollinator attraction to host floral volatiles in this association have been lacking. Here we show that the scent from virgin flowers of the host Yucca glauca is sufficient to attract its obligate pollinator Tegeticula yuccasella in Y‐tube olfactometer tests. Interestingly, both sexes of moths were attracted to the scent stimulus. Because yucca moths mate inside host flowers, the attraction of both females and males to host floral volatiles is likely to increase encounter rates. In a second test, female moths did not discriminate between virgin and hand‐pollinated flowers, indicating no post‐pollination change in scent production by the host that would lead to a reduction in pollinator attraction and thereby limit exploitation of the available seeds in host flowers. However, other mechanisms that could stabilise the mutualism between T. yuccasella and its yucca hosts have already been documented, i.e. selective abortion of heavily infested flowers, and a female‐derived host‐marking pheromone. Headspace collection and GC–MS were used to identify the blend of floral volatiles emitted by Y. glauca, which was found to be very similar to those of two other allopatric capsular‐fruited species, Y. elata and Y. filamentosa, revealing strong conservation of this trait within Yucca section Chaenocarpa.

Sexing the Fetus: Feminist Politics and Method across Cultures

Countries like India and China have become well known locally and internationally for their skewed girl-boy sex ratios, which have declined sharply in the very years marked by these countries' emergence as potential global economic giants. In India, these declines and the concomitant concern over the “missing” girl child have been associated with the spread of antenatal technologies such as ultrasound testing during pregnancy and their surreptitious use for sex determination and the selective abortion of female fetuses, which is banned by Indian law. This essay attempts to set up connections between Indian struggles over the problem and two U.S. feminist texts, Donna Haraway's essay “Fetus: The Virtual Speculum in the New World Order” and Rayna Rapp's ethnography Testing Women, Testing the Fetus. Many levels of disconnect across our respective “naturecultures” become visible in the process. A major argument throughout this essay is to pay closer attention to questions of method—the dominance of the language of statistics and numbers in India, for instance, compared with the ethnographic voices in Rapp's account. Rather than search for a global ethical answer to the question of the putative rights of the unborn, whether sexed or disabled, as the case may be, I argue that we need multiple modes of knowing how decisions are structured in different contexts. Only then can we acknowledge the feminist work that lies ahead in negotiating with women's diverse “choices”—as victims, criminals, and philosophically incoherent, but also as moral pioneers.

Selective embryo abortion in a perennial tree-legume: a case for maternal advantage of reduced seed number per fruit

In this study, I analyzed time-course of embryo abortion, positional bias in seed maturation and maternal costs of seed packaging in Cercis canadensis. While basal embryos experience similar rates of abortion as those in other positions during the first week of development, abortion rates peak during the second week. Head start in resource sequestration by stigmatic embryos may explain high rates of basal embryo abortion. Similar seed packaging costs and seed mass for single and multi-seeded pods suggests that maternal parent regulates pod size in accordance with seed numbers per pod investing equally in the surviving offspring. Competition during early developmental period results in the abortion of less competitive embryos allowing for optimal resource investment.

Meanings of the embryo in Japan: narratives of IVF experience and embryo ownership

This article explores the sociocultural meanings of the embryo implied in the narratives of 58 women who have undergone in vitro fertilisation in Japan over a period from 2006 to 2008. We argue that a lack of sufficient analysis of the sociocultural meanings of the embryo result in a situation where the use of reproductive technologies in Japan advances without reflecting upon the voices of women and couples that use them. Additionally, we argue that the often-heard view that pre-implantation genetic diagnosis causes less pain to women and couples than selective abortion in which foetuses are discarded, should be reviewed in the light of the new empirical evidence offered in this article. Furthermore, this article shows that the view often expounded by Japanese scientists that in Japan the cultural meanings attached to the embryo are insignificant, is incorrect. Consequently, the argument that Japan has no need for an active national debate on the status of embryos should be questioned. Though agreeing with some feminist views on the embryo debate, this article is also critical of feminist views that discuss embryo donation in terms of the loss of ownership of the embryo and the alienation of the embryo due to commodification.

China's excess males, sex selective abortion, and one child policy: analysis of data from 2005 national intercensus survey

China's excess males, sex selective abortion, and one child policy: analysis of data from 2005 national intercensus survey

Selective microspore abortion correlated with aneuploidy: an indication of meiotic drive

Selective megaspore abortion (monomegaspory) probably arose once in seed plants and occurs routinely in more than 70% of angiosperm species, representing one of the key characters of a heterosporous life history. In contrast, selective microspore abortion leading to pollen dispersal as pseudomonads (here termed monomicrospory) apparently arose at least twice independently within angiosperms, though it occurs in a limited number of taxa. Remarkably, similar examples of monomicrospory occur in members of two distantly related angiosperm families: the sedge family (Cyperaceae) and the epacrid subfamily (Styphelioideae) of the eudicot family Ericaceae. In sedges, monomicrospory is derived directly from normal tetrads, whereas epacrid pseudomonads apparently evolved via an intermediate stage, in which variable sterility occurs in a single tetrad. Our comparison of these two examples of selective microspore abortion highlights a correlation with aneuploidy, indicating that non-random chromosome segregation caused by monomicrospory could drive chromosomal mutations to rapid fixation through meiotic drive.

Non-syndromic malformations of the central nervous system in twin pregnancies: diagnostic and other clinical features of importance

Objective The incidence of central nervous system malformations is higher among twins. Our aim was to summarize information about these malformations in twin pregnancies. Study design Based on a sample originating from the biggest genetic centre in Hungary between January 1990 and December 2008, we examined the data of 42 twin pregnancies associated with non-syndromic malformations of the central nervous system. Results The involvement of monozygotic fetuses and dizygotic ones of the same gender was found to be 62.5%. Usually only one of the fetuses was affected (57.1%), while the other one was healthy. The male-to-female ratio was 0.75. Identical and fraternal twins were found in 68.4% and 31.6% of the cases, respectively. In the pregnancies of our study the malformation was diagnosed before the 24th gestational week in 90% of the cases. Polyhydramnios (54.8%) was the most commonly associated non-central nervous system malformation. Conclusion Our findings suggest that, in addition to placentation and gestational age, the position of the affected fetus with relation to the uterine orifice is of great importance in determining whether selective abortion is an option in deciding about the outcome of pregnancies affected by craniospinal malformation.

A Life (Un)Worthy of Living: Reproductive Genetics in Israel and Germany (review)

A Life (Un) Worthy of Living: Reproductive Genetics in Israel and Germany, by Yael Hashiloni-Dolev. Series: International Library of Ethics, Law and the New Medicine, Vol. 34. Dordrecht, the Netherlands, Springer, 2007. 195 pp. euro94.95. This is a very interesting and useful book. It exemplifies how two modern societies, Israel and Germany, employ scientific, legal, and ethical reasoning differently. Beyond the specific findings relevant to both countries, namely that Israeli geneticists are shown to be extremely enthusiastic about the personal and social uses of reproductive genetics while their German colleagues are found to be extremely cautious, its contribution lies in the more general argument that acceptance and application of modern technology are not automatic but preconditioned by national, cultural, historical, religious, and moral forces and the interaction between them. The author shows how the research findings are explained not only by the German history of the Holocaust with its feelings of guilt and shame but also more generally by German attitudes towards science and progress and towards children and fertility, Catholic influences, and Kantian philosophy. Likewise, she explains the selectivity characteristic of Israeli society by means other than collective body ideals and anti-disability sentiments, specifically by addressing the more immediate meanings of the practices of reproductive genetics in Israel. The book covers a whole range of issues. It starts with a discussion of the area of reproductive genetics in Israel and Germany and highlights the ways in which actors involved in this area shape a different perspective to the value of life which is worthy/unworthy of living. The author explores how genetic counselors' practices resonate with their cultural and religious contexts, thereby challenging the philosophy behind and our understanding of the psychosocial and cultural dimensions of that profession. Next, the book compares the different practices and laws of selective and late abortions (however, some of the discussion of abortion law in Israel, such as on pages 86, 90, 101, is outdated, as new regulations on late abortions were issued on 19 December 2007) and the treatment of wrongful life and wrongful birth lawsuits in both societies. It demonstrates that late selective abortions are far more common in Israel than in Germany and that Israeli genetic counselors are far more accepting than their German colleagues of the idea that some forms of life may be harmful to their subjects. The book examines the different approaches of counselors in both countries on whether or not abortions can be justified on the grounds of sex chromosome anomalies (leading to future infertility). It additionally focuses on societal concerns, e.g., whether people with disabilities burden or contribute to society, or whether parents should choose to accept children with genetic abnormalities and carry those pregnancies to term. Theoretically, the book emanates from and explores the sociological discussions of Foucault, Douglas, Rose, and Agamben on the construction of the notion of life (and death) through modern technologies and bodily techniques and its regulation by biopower. More significandy, it adds a unique and novel cultural context to explain the inclusion/exclusion of such a notion in modern societies, thereby critically challenging the separation between the zones of bios and zoe. Hashiloni-Dolev's research is based on varied methodological foundations, both quantitative and qualitative analyses as well as textual investigation. The analysis in the book and discussion of its main findings are organized in nine relatively short chapters, although only in a few does the author provide sufficient examples from the empirical work to support her arguments. The book's focus on attitudes of experts, specifically those of genetic counselors, is noteworthy, although the author did litde to review other studies on such a professional group (see p. …

THE DISAPPEARING NUTRITIONAL BIAS AGAINST CHINESE GIRLS

1. INTRODUCTION Modern technology for prenatal diagnostic testing, especially ultrasound B scan, first became available in China in 1980s, reached county hospitals by late 1980s, and rural townships by mid 1990s (Chu 2001; Zhu, Li, and Hesketh 2009). The new methods dramatically improved accuracy of prenatal sex determination over older methods, which have been part of traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Around same time a strict population control policy was introduced in China, which was seen as crucial to success of market reforms on which country had just embarked. The policy comprises a number of laws and administrative rules that regulate family size, including marrying and having children at a late age, having easy access to contraception and abortion, and conditions under which a second child permitted. The One-Child rule applies mostly to urban residents and state employees while a second child generally allowed after 5 yr, especially if first child female (Li 2004). Coupled with this strict family policy and strong son preferences, prenatal sex selection reached epidemic levels in late 1980s, as many women opted for abortions upon discovering that fetus was female. The prevalence of female-selective abortions raised sex ratios at birth (SRB) from 108 boys per 100 girls in 1982 to 121 boys per 100 girls in 2005. The Chinese government, alarmed by sharp increase in SRB, attempted to eliminate prenatal sex selections by banning use of ultrasound for sex determination apart from medical reasons in 1993, and by enacting Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance of 2000 that banned sex-selective pregnancy termination. Both efforts appear to have been mostly fruitless, however, because of rapid privatization and deregulation of health care in China and widespread use of cheap mobile ultrasound machines during this period. Several explanations for changes in SRB have been offered by other researchers. Banister (2004) notes that while China is most extreme example (p. 22), other Asian countries also report abnormal sex ratios. She describes period preceding introduction of sex selection technology, years 1964-1977, as period with the lowest-ever losses of girls in Chinese history (p. 24) and credits, among other factors, Communist Party's ideology of gender equality for these low SRBs. Li (2002) also investigates factors underlying son preference and finds that One-Child policy, socioeconomic condition, and sex ratio of children present are most influential factors. Zhu, Li, and Hesketh (2009), using 2005 survey data, find that Sex selection abortion accounts for almost all of males (p. l). (1) In current context, with exceptionally high SRBs as a result of wide availability of prenatal gender screening that strongly favors boys in China, there still postnatal discrimination against Chinese girls? We are not first to ask whether recent advances in medical technology that allow parents to make prenatal sex selection decisions could have unintended consequences for postnatal well-being of girls. Banister (2004) and Echovirus (2007) note that prenatal sex selection should result in fewer unwanted girls, declines in female infanticide, and reductions in excess female mortality because of neglect. Our contribution to investigate a potential form of neglect by testing for inequality across distributions of nutrient intake for girls and boys in China, using micro data from various years between 1991 and 2004. Independent of prenatal sex selection issue, gender bias in development indicators such as nutrient intake has interested economists for several decades. The question here has been whether women and girls, in particular, receive fewer household resources than men and boys in developing countries, which could lead to poorer relative health and nutrition status. …

A Fungal Parasite Regulates a Putative Female-Suppressor Gene Homologous to Maize Tasselseed2 and Causes Induced Hermaphroditism in Male Buffalograss

Parasitically induced hermaphroditism is a fascinating illustration of floral sex organ modification; however, knowledge of how parasites induce hermaphroditism in plants is limited. Here, we show the fungal parasite pistil smut induces development of female sex organs (pistils) in flowers of male buffalograss, potentially by downregulating a putative female-suppressor gene, BdTs2, homologous to maize Tasselseed2 (ZmTs2). Full-length BdTs2, isolated using rapid amplification of cDNA ends, exhibits 89% nucleotide sequence similarity with ZmTs2 and 85% amino acid sequence homology with ZmTs2 protein. Scanning electron micrographs demonstrate that unisexual buffalograss flowers develop through a process of selective abortion of opposite sex organs within hermaphroditic floral primordia. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that high expression levels of BdTs2 within male inflorescences correlate with the selective abortion of gynoecium, leading to the development of unisexual male flowers. RNA in situ hybridization confirmed the expression of BdTs2 precisely within vestigial gynoeciums of male flowers and not in other floral organs of the inflorescence. Furthermore, we show that BdTs2 expression is downregulated by pistil smut infection, which corresponds to the presence of pistils in flowers otherwise destined to become unisexual male. This study provides a potential molecular basis for pistil smut-induced hermaphroditism in male buffalograss.

Selective Abortion for Down Syndrome: The Relation Between the Quality of Intergroup Contact, Parenting Expectations, and Willingness to Terminate

This study examines the links between familiarity with individuals with Down syndrome (DS), perceptions of parenting a child with DS, and willingness to consider selective termination subsequent to a fetal diagnosis of DS. Within a sample of childless young adults (N = 280), those reporting personal familiarity indicated both more positive attitudes toward parenting a child with DS and more certainty that they would not abort following a prenatal diagnosis. In further support of contact theory, the quality of the past intergroup interactions moderated these findings. The potential role of negative stereotypes in selective‐abortion decision making and implications for prenatal counseling protocols are discussed.

Olycella aff. junctolineella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) florivory on Opuntia microdasys, a Chihuahuan Desert endemic cactus

The object of this study was to provide the first data on the natural history of the little known plant–florivore interaction between Opuntia microdasys and Olycella aff. junctolineella larvae and to study interindividual variability in the number of reproductive structures attacked as a function of plant resource availability. Field observations of larval activity and a quantification of the damages produced were done at the Southern Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico. To quantify the interindividual variation of florivory damage as a function of resource availability (water and nutrients), a resource addition experiment was carried out. Larvae caused 21% of buds and 7% of flowers to abort. Adding resources (water and nutrients) to plants had no effect on bud production, although more buds developed into flowers and fruits in fertilized plants, suggesting a selective abortion against ill-nourished reproductive structures. The number of buds and flowers attacked by larvae were higher for non-fertilized than for fertilized plants, indicating that reproductive structures of plants under abiotic stress become more suitable as food for florivores. The number of structures attacked was a non-linear function of the number of buds originally produced, suggesting a florivore satiation threshold.

Selective flower abortion maintains moth cooperation in a newly discovered pollination mutualism

The evolutionary stability of mutualisms is enhanced when partners possess mechanisms to prevent overexploitation by one another. In obligate pollination-seed consumption mutualisms, selective abortion of flowers containing excessive eggs represents one such mechanism, but empirical tests have long been limited to the yucca-yucca moth mutualism. We present evidence for selective abortion in the recently discovered mutualism between Glochidion trees and Epicephala moths. In Glochidion acuminatum, proportion of aborted flowers progressively increased both with higher egg load and increased ovule damage. Selective abortion resulted in a 16% seed production increase compared with expectations under random abortion, and moths suffered fitness losses as high as 62% when ovipositing into pre-infested flowers. Moth eggs were laid singly more often than expected under random oviposition, thus avoiding potential disadvantages from multiple infestations. As new pollination mutualisms are being discovered, selective abortion mechanisms may prove to be more widespread than previously thought.