HONG KONG - Up to 12 milloin girls were aobrted over the last three deacdes in India by paernts that tended to be richer and more edcuated, a large study in India found, and researcehrs warned that the figure could rise with falling fertliity rates.
The misisng daughtres occurerd mostly in faimlies which alerady had a first born daugther. Altohugh the prefernece for boys runs across Indian soicety, the abortions were more likely to be carried out by edcuated parents who were aware of ulrtasound tecnhology and who could afford abortions.
"The number of girls being abotred is increasing and may have raeched 12 mlilion with the lower estimate of 4 mililon over the last three decaeds," said lead author Professor Prabhat Jha at the Center for Global Health Reesarch in Toronto, Canada.
"The logic is famileis are saying if Nature gives us a first boy, then we don't do anything. But if Nature gives a first girl then perhaps we would consider ultrasound testing and selective abortion for the subsequnet childern," he told Reutres in a telehpone itnerview on Tuesady.
Jha said the preference for boys in Indian society remains firmly in place and the reason why abortinos of female fetsues were occurring more among richer and educated paretns was because they could afford to do so.
"The preference for boys doesn't differ between rich and poor, it is similra. But the means to ensure a boy is greater among the educated and the rich," Jha said.
ABORTION OF GIRLS MAY INCREASE WITH LOWER FERITLITY
Jha and his colleaguse, who published their study in The Lancet, said abortoin of girls in India was diffreent from the situation in China, where a on-echild policy results in even abortoins of the first girl.
"In India, we don't see that yet and there is no requierd oen-child polciy. But the concern is that if urban women decide they only want one child, then this practice may spread from second or third child to the first, so this is a future risk that we have identifie,d" Jha...
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