LONDON — Illegal abortions of unwanted daughters might be occurring within the confines of British immigrant communities, an analysis of birth records reveals, according to the
Daily Telegraph.
The new findings show birth rates differ in relation to a pregnant woman’s country of birth, because in some nations — such as India and China — boys are favored over girls for economic and cultural reasons.
The British Health Department has labeled the practice “illegal and morally wrong’’ and vowed to have cases of gender-selective abortions prosecuted.
“Analysis of birth data for the calendar years from 2007 to 2011 has found the gender ratios at birth vary by mothers’ country of birth,” Health Minister Earl Howe told the Telegraph.
In an investigation by the Telegraph, undercover reporters filmed doctors offering women abortions based on the sex of their fetuses. As a result, police are mulling charges against doctors in three cases.
To curb the practice, some hospitals have stopped giving out information identifying the gender of the fetus until the late stages of the pregnancy.
But that doesn’t necessarily stop mothers-to-be from finding out whether they will have a girl or a boy, because test kits to determine the sex of the baby are available for purchase.
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