Sex-selection Abortions?

Just a few years ago on this message board there was a mother who had 2 boys and found out that she was pregnant with her 3rd boy. She was dead set on aborting the baby because he wasn't a girl. Many of us tried to talk her out of it, and I don't know what ever happened, but that was the last time she ever posted her (at least under that particular screen name.)

So I would say that it isn't very common, but not unheard of in the US. Pretty sick, if you ask me.

Actually, my OB wouldn't do gender reveal ultrasounds because of the high number of patients choosing gender selective abortions. She said that the number of people who pitch a fit because they don't get the gender they wanted is astounding. So sad.

My understanding and experience with this has been that sex-selection abortions are kind of a figment of the anti-abortion crowd's collective imagination. (Kind of like the impending necessity of legalizing polygamy or bestiality is in the minds of those opposing same-sex marriage).

You're right, the sex of a fetus is not known until around 20 weeks, which is already too far into a pregnancy for elective abortion under MOST statutes. But even it sex was known earlier... even if it was known at conception the whole idea of "including sex-selection abortions" is ridiculous. Elective abortions are... elective... if you have a choice, you have a choice... the idea of calling out specific unacceptable reasons for a choice is just silly because it doesn't actually DO anything. If I want an abortion, and it's within the legal time-frame, you don't get to ask me if it's because I can't support another child, am trying to escape from an abusive spouse, or just don't want fat ankles. If it's my choice, it's my choice.

The only qualifier that has any place in a law like this would be to allow special exceptions when the mother's life or health is in danger (and then that's only as an exception if abortions are NOT allowed at that stage... there's no reason to mention it if the exception isn't being made).

To answer your questions: No, this is not common practice in the US. It's pretty much non-existent (accept in a few cases). But also, no this isn't the law just crossing t's and dotting i's. It's the authors of the law inserting rhetoric designed to raise concern/outrage/anxiety leading to support from people who otherwise would be apathetic or even opposed to the law.

HTH
T.

My son passed away at 16 weeks and it was clear that he was a boy. It does happen in the US. I believe all abortions are killing a child. I pray that some day this practice ends.

What kind of parent would they be if they aborted the child because that child wasn't the sex that they wanted? I guess we agree that they are parents which would make it a baby they are killing.

Actually, going through the surrogacies, I had people who contacted me and asked if I was willing to have an abortion if they didn't have girls/boys. (I'm against abortion, so I said no.) But there are people out there who want a specific gender and are willing to abort if they don't get it.

It is common practice in India and also certain parts of the US. It is soooo much more common than you think especially in affluent areas where boys are considered more valuable that girls. For the US, it is mostly for babies with downs but some do it for purely relational problems or birth control. I had a patient where I used to work who had 5 abortions. Each time she found out she was having a girl, she would have another abortion.She didn't want a girl. She was waiting for that one boy. Its extremely sad.

**For those who think elective termination's in the 2nd /3rd trimester are rare.....Nope. I have a clinic five miles from my house that does 20- 32 week abortions on tues and thurs. They are called elective therapeutic abortions and can be done for any reason. Mom wants to have an abortion? Depression? Broke up with the baby's dad? Financial reasons, Just because etc. They don't come out and say we do this etc but do have a add in the yellow pages with abortion services up to 24 weeks and later under a doctor's referral etc. Also,at my local hospital, there are two specific late term docs who do them as well and not just for genetically indicated problems. I would much rather people be aware of this and so they know the truth. Abortion is a big business and Planned Parenthood is the nations #1 top provider of abortions.http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oGdVNcZmJR9iIAXxtXNyoA;_...

Only when people are informed of the truth 100%, can we make the best decisions for ourselves.

it should be made illegal. there are no guarantees, you either get a boy or a girl.
not a monkey for god's sakes

Unfortunately, people do terminate pregnancies due to gender preference if they find out early enough.

There are support communities online for women dedicated to gender disappointment.

It's something I've been aware of for many years. It still sickens me.

EDIT: It's not a "scare tactic" or part of an agenda. It's not a made up issue. It really is real. I've spent time reading a support board specifically for women who wanted to terminate or did terminate due to gender disappointment. Just from that community alone, you'd be shocked at how many American women abort perfectly healthy babies because they're not a preferred sex.

I visited that community because at first I just couldn't believe it existed. Then I wanted to see if I could ever understand "the other side." No matter how often I read, not ONCE did someone terminate due to genetic abnormalities or sex-determined illnesses. That was for another board/community called Termination Due To Medical Necessity.

Weird.
Maybe it does happen.
No personal knowledge of this happening.
Abortion rights are being pushed down a slippery slope in many states right know.
Funny thing is--betcha Planned Parenthood has prevented a hundred fold the abortions performed.

ETA: Please note, there have been PLENTY of questions (on this board) about preferred gender conception.

I wouldn't think it's all to common place here, although it is very common in other societies. It has happened here, I'm sure. Even if it hasn't happened ever, I still think there should be a law on the books about it. In many states, you can have an abortion up to 20-24 weeks, which would be in time to find the gender.

I don't want to be on par with China, India, and other places that allow this practice. I am happy to have this law on the books, even to prevent one instance. Eventually, they will find a way to see the gender, as soon as possible. I think it's better to have the law NOW, then to respond to the time when people can find out immediately and abort.

It happens. So far as I know not common but it happens. Thing is since it happen and technology advances, it is probably a good idea to include it. What if tomorrow a test comes out that can not only tell you you are pregnant but the gender of the baby?

You didn't mention what the cut off age was under the new law.

i'm sure they do. people choose to abort for all variety of reasons.
makes no odds in my book. whatever, whenever, whyever. any woman who chooses not to have a baby will never, ever, ever be forced to do so against her will when i am queen.
all options, including counseling will be available.
but zero limitations on a woman's right to choose.
ever.
khairete
fundy pro-choice to the nth degree S.

They are practiced in China where the government only allows one child per family...bad thing is - now the boys outnumber the girls...

While it's illegal in China - it still happens...and in other countries as well...India, Pakistan, and the Caucasus'. Females are not as "valuable" it appears as boys...ironic - can't have babies without girls.

Did you read this article by the Huffington Post? I am sure you read this regularly...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/08/china-abortion-c...

Is it common practice here in the U.S.? Who knows. I wouldn't have cared - boy or girl - that's what God wanted me to have...that's how the cookie crumbled...

Wild Woman is correct. This is a common practice in other countries, especially China. You know, it's really sad because the very countries that believe women should be responsible for the home, consider their lives less precious. They feel that having a son will bring more prosperity to the family.

I don't think sex selection abortions should be allowed in the America. I mean, lets say I always had my heart set on having a girl, I have a girl's name picked out, the nursery is all done in pink and then I get the devastating news that I'm having a boy instead.

What kind of egotistical control freak would terminate a pregnancy just because it's not the gender they wanted?

Sometimes there are congenital or chromosonal abnormalities that can leave parents with tough choices. I personally know quite a few people that knew well in advance that their children would have Down's Syndrome. They did not terminate the pregnancies.

I haven't read anything about the Kansas law, but gender selection abortions are so wrong on so many levels. If you've already got five boys and you've been trying for a girl, would you terminate the life of a baby boy because you feel you have ENOUGH boys?

They told me I could NEVER have children from the time I was a young girl.
I actually managed to have two babies. They are miracles and I'm so reminded how precious life is. I was happy to take anything God saw fit to give me.
I got a girl AND a boy. How blessed is that?

I do support a woman's right to choose, but not based on gender.

Sorry, that's just my opinion.

I have heard this said by people trying to push an agenda. I can guess, maybe a very tiny percentage would abort the "wrong sex", but what kind of parent would they be? This is one of those made up situations to push people into hysterics about abortions.

I am more concerned about my friends that had to carry, babies that died until they came naturally, one of them it took 2 weeks. The hospital and her doctor and she herself did not believe in abortion in any case.. BTW, she has now changed her mind. Her husband has never recovered from that time in their lives. He was horrified by the whole situation.

They should not be able to have any children if they feel like they can pick and choose. It is cruel to

It is common practice in countries such as India and China.

Although I certainly don't agree with sex-selection abortions, there are valid reasons for doing so...

Many genetic diseases are carried on the X chromosome, so males have a considerably higher risk of having that gene mutation expressed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-linked_recessive_inheritance

Again, I certainly don't agree with sex-selection abortion (nor do I agree with abortion as a form of birth control)...

I feel they are probably being cautious about the future of abortion....

Actually, in both China and India, it is illegal to find out the gender of the child in utero, specifically to prevent sex-selective abortions. You can still bribe a doctor and get an illegal abortion, but it's not as easy as it used to be. Many countries are facing this problem as girls are thought of as trouble or a lesser sex and families want boys to carry on their legacy. Long term this leads to huge gender imbalances in certain generations.

Writing that into the law is designed to provoke outrage, not prevent abortions. As said earlier, if within the allotted timeframe, I don't need to tell anyone a reason, it is my right under the current law to have an abortion. If specific reasons are prohibited, then a person wanting an abortion would have to state one of the allowed reasons.

Similar to before "no-fault" divorce. If a couple wanted a divorce, they would decide who was going to play the "bad guy" so they could file for a divorce. Now, no reason needs to be declared.

Sex selective abortion is the ultimate form of discrimination against women.

http://www.pop.org/content/feminisms-triumph-exterminatio...
http://www.pop.org/content/sex-selective-abortion-comes-t...

How can some forms of abortion be ok, and some are utterly revolting?

No matter the situation, a life is ended.

And in all cases, the child is being treated as a thing, a commodity, and not a person. Their humanity is being ignored.

And then there are babies... that are abandoned or dumped in a dumpster, because they are not wanted.... and maybe due to gender?
Or the baby is killed, after it is born and/or not wanted, due to gender.
This also happens, in places like China or India where gender of a baby is high stakes.