title: Use of Sex Selection Techniques for Social Reasons: A Menace.
abstract: Sex selection skewed towards males is a malady that our society is grappling with. The desire to have a child of preferred gender has encouraged people to move beyond the ambit of traditions and explore scientific methods. Despite the controversies around sex-selection for social reasons and strong regulatory mechanisms in place, the demand for such measures has not gone down. On the contrary, traditional practice of consuming indigenous medicines during pregnancy for a male child continues. Recent research highlights the harms of this practice in the form of birth defects and stillbirths. This has led to stricter enforcement of PCPNDT Act and has stimulated the propagation of messages on the harms of these practices in the community.
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Public Health-Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India. Correspondence to: Dr Sutapa B Neogi, Indian Institute of Public Health Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India, Plot number 47, Sector 44, Gurgaon 122 002, Haryana, India. sutapa.bneogi@iiphd.org.
authors.forename: Sutapa Bandyopadhyay
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Neogi
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zodpey
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Negandhi
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012743:Sex Preselection / Q000941:ethics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data