Desire for a son nearly killed her

LUCKNOW: Sex selection and female foeticide nearly took life of 30-year-old Uma Shanti. The woman had a near death experience at the hands of a quack when she had to undergo abortion for the second time within 1.5 years.

“I already had two daughters. When I went for first abortion, things were normal as I was able to return home in a day, but the second abortion nearly killed me,” said Uma Shanti (name changed) explaining the ordeal she went through.

“I fell unconscious, had great difficulty in even getting up and moving. I thought I was almost dead,” she recalled.

Shanti had to face the ordeal as her family wanted a son after already giving birth to two healthy daughters. “Shanti’s condition became serious as the family was interested only in having a baby boy and nothing else did matter to them,” said Dr Neelam Singh who treated the woman.

Poor count of blood platelets count, weak body and complica-

THE WOMAN HAD A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE AT THE HANDS OF A QUACK WHEN SHE HAD TO UNDERGO AN ABORTION

tions defined the health condition of Shanti, who took weeks to recover.

“This case reveals two facts, the first is about sex selection and the other is deep rooted wish to have a baby boy. These two things have made woman an object for experiments as they are made to conceive several times during the process and also have to abort the female foetus,” said Dr Singh, an activist working against sex selective abortion.

Shanti has recovered and has promised herself that she will never go for abortion in future. “Come what may, I will never go for sex selection or abortion again. I also request all other women not to go for abortion as it is akin to risking life,” said Shanti, a native of Siwan.

(Name of the woman changed on request)