Hi List Members... read this article today that appeared in the Seattle
Times online and thought it worthwhile passing on. While I strongly
support a woman's right to choice, I'm disturbed by this article ...
Feel free to forward the article below to anyone who may be interested.
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In India, activists link ultrasound to a decline in number of females
By Ashok Sharma
The Associated Press
NEW DELHI — While some Americans are looking at ultrasound as a tool to
reduce abortions, authorities in India are alarmed that the technology
is used to avoid giving birth to a girl.
Concerns arose after India's 2001 census suggested a sharp drop in the
number of females. Activists link the decline to the use of ultrasound
during pregnancy — and abortions that result if the fetus is shown to be
female.
"The use of ultrasound machines to determine sex of child is widespread
in India," said Varinda Karat, a women's-rights activist.
Girls are viewed as a burden by many Indian families because parents
often must pay a dowry to a groom's family before marriage.
In contrast with many countries, men outnumber women in India. The
census estimated there are fewer than 933 females for every 1,000 males. "This
implies that there are some 20-25 million 'missing' women in India," the
census report said. "Some were never born. And the rest die because they
do not have the opportunity to survive."
Ultrasound clinics have proliferated in India since the 1980s. Each test
costs the equivalent of $17, while an abortion costs about $20. Per
capita income in India is about $400 a year.
Abortions are legal in India, although a 1994 law prevents the procedure
from being used to get rid of female fetuses. But Karat said the law is
not strongly enforced.
From the Seattle Times ... www.seattletimes.com
Saturday, February 02, 2002 - 12:00 a.m. Pacific