‘ Gender testing abets sex selection abortions’

Experts fear the testing could lead to a ‘ genocide’ of female babies in countries like China and India

London, Sept. 17: Parentstobe should not be allowed to use blood tests to find out the sex of their baby at the beginning of a pregnancy, Labour politicians say.

Experts fear more people will have abortions if they find out they are having a girl.

In some cultures, particularly from South Asia, families prefer having boys to girls and there are concerns parents will use testing to control the sex of their children.

Currently the non- invasive prenatal test ( NIPT) is used to screen for genetic disorders such as Down's syndrome.

But the DNA test can reveal the baby's gender after around nine weeks and, although the NHS does not share this information, parents can pay to have the test privately for around £ 170.

Labour's shadow minister for women and equalities, Naz Shah, said the government should enforce restrictions on the practice.

NIPT means parents can find out the gender of their baby as early as nine weeks into a pregnancy, which experts fear could lead to mothers having abortions based on their baby's sex in some communities

A 2017 report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics discovered websites offer baby gender tests for around £ 170.

In the UK it is legal to have an abortion until the 24th week of pregnancy.

The Nuffield Council's report said that there is not much evidence to prove women are having abortions based on their baby's gender.

But it can be hard to tell because they give doctors other reasons, the BBC reported.

It added there is ‘ a real possibility’ that permitting NIPT for sex determination in the UK may be encouraging sex selection.

The test involves taking a sample of the mother's blood to find the foetus's DNA and examine it for genetic abnormality.

“NIPT screenings should be used for their intended purpose, to screen for serious conditions such as Down's syndrome,” Ms Shah said.

“The government needs to look into this exploitative practice and enforce appropriate restrictions.”

The Nuffield Council said there is no reason for revealing a baby's gender early on in the pregnancy unless it is being used to diagnose a health condition.

A preference for boys has been popular for years in China and India — in China, there are 34 million more men than women because parents abort baby girls.

This is partly because men are traditionally the breadwinners of the family so women are considered to be more of a liability.

Earlier this year, experts raised concerns the testing could lead to a “genocide” of female babies in countries like China and India.

Official reports found India already has 63 million fewer women than it should because families choose to abort female babies.