Rajendra Kale, in his editorial entitled “‘It’s a girl’ — could be a death sentence”1 sheds light on the despicable societal forces that lead women to abort female fetuses preferentially. He subsequently advocates for physician regulatory agencies to undertake a recommendation to ban the disclosure of the sex of a fetus before 30 weeks gestation. This advocacy is misguided at best and dangerous at worst.
Current Canadian policy recognizes that a woman seeking an abortion is normally in the best position to make this complex decision. Providing optimal medical care should then include providing her with as much information as possible. This should include the sex of the fetus if requested. This may mean that a woman is making a decision to have an abortion for reasons that Dr. Kale describes as “repugnant.” But, taking the decision out of the hands of women is not the solution. Even when a woman seeks an abortion because of coercion, she may well be making the best decision to keep herself and her other children safe. As Dr. Kale points out, having a female baby can put a woman at risk of discrimination, isolation from her community, abuse and, in extreme cases, murder. Blaming women for the scourge of gender-based violence is also not a solution. This is why limiting access to abortion based on this specific reason is dangerous health policy. Does this mean that some women will decide to abort female fetuses preferentially? Sadly, yes.