Fear of massive rise in sex-selective abortions after scientists invent new test that can determine a baby’s gender after just eight weeks

[Winterlight]

I won’t post a link as it’s the Mail but this is one of those tucked away stories which highlights a potential catastrophe for the female population of China and India particularly.

‘Scientists have sparked controversy after creating a pin-prick test that can determine the gender of a baby after just eight weeks.
Concerns have been raised the test could trigger a rise in sex-selective abortions, especially in countries such as India and China where families desire boys over girls for cultural reasons.

A recently published government report in India found that the country has 63 million fewer woman then it should because families are choosing to abort their female babies.
The situation is much the same in China, where men outnumber women by 34 million - significantly more than the entire population of Australia.

It is feared the new pin-prick test could fuel a 'genocide' of female babies in India and China as parents are given more time than previously to make a decision on whether to abort their babies.,

It shows the baby's sex not gender. There'll be some parts of the UK which will cause concern too. I know of one where parents aren't given the option of being told the child's sex due to the cultural preference for boys. Don't they think of this when they develop the test?

It is sex, not gender. Gender is meaningless more akin to personality IMO.

I thought that in China at least, they have grasped the extent of the issue with their sex imbalance and are trying desperately to redress it? Some cultural attitudes run very deep though, esp in more rural areas where you might want a son for more manual labour....

"Experts developed a new test to show an child's gender after eight weeks"

Oh well that will be interesting. Showing a child's "gender". No test on earth now or in the future can do that. Perhaps they mean the baby's SEX? Babies aren't great on the preferential pronoun thing!

Baby: My preferred pronouns are 'goo', 'gee' and 'gah'

Yes sorry you are right the correct term is sex that was a direct cut and paste from the Mail. Another misuse of the word ‘gender’.

The desire for son isn't linked to manual labour! That's what the daughter's are for - or so it goes. The son is for continuity of the lineage, the heir to the non existent throne.

I should step away, not good for my blood pressure... have had a lifetime of explaining to people that my parents were quite happy with 3 daughter's. I had a really haughty, raised eyebrow look and said 'what do they need sons for?!' (Disclaimer - I got boys now and love them to bits but also teach them to do the washing up)

And yes, it's sex not gender.

Surely a termination at 8 weeks is preferable to a later termination?

But i don't know how many women would terminate at 8 weeks because of the sex of the baby, but who wouldn't later. And I don't know how many women would regret the early decision.

I found out the sex of my baby at 10 weeks through a blood test as part of downs screening so people could already find out, regardless of motive.