British Indians still aborting baby girls in UK

When is the baby’s gender determined? Is it at the 20 week scan? Although still legal for medical reasons it is very late in pregnancy and reasons for requesting a termination should be investigated thoroughly. I would imagine the majority of terminations for other reasons are carried out in the early stages of pregnancy.
I agree with abortion being the woman’s choice but I think the current cut off is far too late.

It’s much earlier than that, you can find out with accuracy now at 6-7 weeks if you use a private DNA test.

Blinko

Henry VIII managed this issue in a number of ways, divorce and execution among them. Medieval.

It was rather different for Henry - in his view, and the view of all nobility at the time, a boy was imperative to continue the succession.

Galaxy

Yes that ethical decision has already been made.
Of course enforcing that law when you have legal abortion is almost impossible I would imagine.

Yes BPAS pressuring me to have an abortion when there were no grounds for it makes me wonder how many legal abortions are legal. Same when I was 17, married and pregnant and my GP suggested abortion as I was "too young" although I dont think that would actually be legal grounds for abortion, I was fit, healthy, married, had a nice home, husband with a job and we were excited about the baby. Not sure where the legal grounds were.

I am sorry to hear that theworriedwell. Very different context but I was pressurised by my health visitor in the days after I gave birth ( it was around access to records about the birth) it is a deeply unsettling experience

fancyflowers

Blinko

Henry VIII managed this issue in a number of ways, divorce and execution among them. Medieval.

It was rather different for Henry - in his view, and the view of all nobility at the time, a boy was imperative to continue the succession.

And the Tudor claim to the throne was based on illegitimacy. The transfer of power from Henry to his son was the first peaceful transfer of power in a hundred years.

Casdon

It’s much earlier than that, you can find out with accuracy now at 6-7 weeks if you use a private DNA test.

Yes, records show that this is mostly the case. (ie travels to India just at the "right time" or privately in the UK. Realistically, the latter can't be reliably traced unless you are going after a specific person.

There are numerous reasons people may want an early termination which have absolutely nothing to do with the baby's sex, and I really respect that. Like I said up thread, "every mother a willing mother, every child a wanted child".

No, it's not OK imo to do it just on gender basis, but it's not just practised by those mentioned in the O/P.

In Western culture some wealthier people who want a specific gender child go and have it done on the quiet, or select various genetic traits that increasingly can be tested.

This is an old article, but very pertinent.

www.theguardian.com/law/2012/feb/28/is-sex-selective-abortion-illegal

The "evidence" is based on an estimated 400 shortfall of female babies born over a five year period ending in 2021. In 2020 alone 60k babies were born to Asian minority group parents so any so called "evidence" is tenuous and completely unprovn. The article concerned the BPAS website's comment, which IMO is incorrect and should be amended but it has been distorted to make a point. There's currently little evidence of the widespread abortion of girls in the UK purely because of their gender.

Indeed! the O/P states with no evidence whatsoever

apparently it is on the increase too

this is just cultural hate stirring. 😡

But it works, doesn't it? People read their newspaper and transfer the biased "news" to social media where it resonates with some people's stereotypical views and it is accepted as fact. I'm sure there are cases of the abortion of girls for the "wrong" reason's but there seems to be little evidence that it's widespread or on the increase and I'm sure perfectly healthy foetuses are aborted for all sorts of other reasons that many would find unacceptable.

Wyllow3

Indeed! the O/P states with no evidence whatsoever

apparently it is on the increase too

this is just cultural hate stirring. 😡

No it isn’t!
The facts are now being twisted to suit certain people’s agenda,
AKA ooh look a squirrel, nothing to see here.
This happens regularly on GN.
Strong preference for boy babies and disappointment with girl babies is rife in some cultures even to claiming abortions for this reason.
Thankfully this abhorrent practice is not the case in British culture and it’s to be hoped that as time goes on all ethnic minorities that do practice it, and we know of course that it isn’t all, who do but it’s a percentage nevertheless, will stop doing it.

foxie48

But it works, doesn't it? People read their newspaper and transfer the biased "news" to social media where it resonates with some people's stereotypical views and it is accepted as fact. I'm sure there are cases of the abortion of girls for the "wrong" reason's but there seems to be little evidence that it's widespread or on the increase and I'm sure perfectly healthy foetuses are aborted for all sorts of other reasons that many would find unacceptable.

This preoccupation with newspapers and bias and so on is getting boring now.
Which paper is acceptable I wonder? Just The Guardian?

Galaxy

I am sorry to hear that theworriedwell. Very different context but I was pressurised by my health visitor in the days after I gave birth ( it was around access to records about the birth) it is a deeply unsettling experience

It is, I suppose I dealt with it by thinking they meant well. The one that truly upset me was when I was pregnant at 38, I know never learn do I, and young doctor said I'd missed my amnio and we need to hurry up or it will be too late for an abortion. I told him I wasnt having it and wouldn't be having an abortion anyway. He was so abusive a midwife had to step in and shout at him to stop. I couldn't imagine he meant well. Whatever happened to a woman's right to choose.

I'm not suggesting which newspaper anyone should read, Oreo . They all have their biases. I'm suggesting that people should be more critical of what they read especially if they are repeating it on social media. I'm sorry if you find my posts boring but you don't have to read them.

Very true 😁

I know, taking the trouble to fact check may seem boring to some. Is that how Trump got elected? All the drama, but no facts.
Fact checking is worth it, to get the balanced picture.

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The Bible has a lot to say too, and the Quran too but that doesn’t stop people doing terrible things does it?

theworriedwell

Galaxy

I am sorry to hear that theworriedwell. Very different context but I was pressurised by my health visitor in the days after I gave birth ( it was around access to records about the birth) it is a deeply unsettling experience

It is, I suppose I dealt with it by thinking they meant well. The one that truly upset me was when I was pregnant at 38, I know never learn do I, and young doctor said I'd missed my amnio and we need to hurry up or it will be too late for an abortion. I told him I wasnt having it and wouldn't be having an abortion anyway. He was so abusive a midwife had to step in and shout at him to stop. I couldn't imagine he meant well. Whatever happened to a woman's right to choose.

Did you have the same Consultant as me?
No, my doctor wasn't young but most annoyed with me when the amnio didn't work (baby objected and must have kicked the needle out of the way!).
He tried to persuade me to have an abortion anyway and told me I was very foolish when I refused.

I had my babies in the nineties and we lived just outside London at the time. The technology to determine the sex of unborn babies was becoming more accurate by this time but the policy at our local hospital and others at this time was not to tell parents as there were a lot of Indian families in the area and it was well known that they would abort girl babies.

50% of all current terminations in UK will be of females foetuses. Not quite sure what the ethical argument is against sex selection, as it will still be 50%.
As others have already pointed, termination for Downs Syndrome or other abnormalities is legal up to birth.

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Allira my Consultant was fine with my decision. I'd had my 3rd baby at 36, he offered amnio and I declined and said it was a waste of NHS resources as I was keeping the baby. He said not to worry about his budget, if it would help me to know in advance if there were problems. I said it wouldn't. The midwife who was with him told me they'd be there to support Mr whatever happened, she'd hold my hand through the amnio if I was worried or she'd be there if there was a problem when baby was born
They were lovely, I was due to see the Consultant but he was dealing with an emergency so I saw this young doctor. I was so upset and crying. Who do they think they are to.try to bully a woman into an abortion. The way he said were running out of time for the abortion when he didn't know if there was a problem.

So sorry you had that experience.

I had a baby at 36 and at 37. I refused the amino because I was not planning to end my pregnancies if the baby was Downes. Also because of the increased risk of miscarriage with amino,

My GP, consultant and midwife all very supportive

sundowngirl

When is the baby’s gender determined? Is it at the 20 week scan? Although still legal for medical reasons it is very late in pregnancy and reasons for requesting a termination should be investigated thoroughly. I would imagine the majority of terminations for other reasons are carried out in the early stages of pregnancy.
I agree with abortion being the woman’s choice but I think the current cut off is far too late.

If you agree to a cut off at all, then you do not in fact view it as the woman’s choice.