At the age of 28, Madhuri had three daughters and no son. With a dream to have a son and to fulfil her family’s demands, she became pregnant again. But this time she couldn’t take any chance and illegally undertook a sex determination test. As soon as she was told that it is a girl, […]
abortion
The high death toll of gender discrimination
Gender discrimination and missing women The price of gender discrimination in India is the lives of almost 240,000 girls under five every year. Much attention is given in India to the issue of female foeticide. Sex-selective abortions are considered the major driver of India’s skewed sex ratio at birth (SRB) and its resultant 63 million […]
Reducing maternal mortality through access to contraception
India’s annual maternal mortality rate (MMR) is 45,000 deaths every year. This equates to 5 deaths every hour. One way of reducing the number of deaths is better access to contraception. India’s MMR fell from 212 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2007-09 to 167 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2011 and 2013 – […]
India’s abortion law: time for change?
Abortion is a divisive issue in India: socially, legally, morally and religiously. A number of incidents in recent years have sparked debate over whether or not it is time to revise the country’s abortion laws. In India, the 1971 Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act says “a pregnancy may be terminated…[if an] opinion is formed, in […]
Sex determination ban in India and freedom of speech
![Sex determination ban in India By Melanurya (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i1.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Sex_determination_ban.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Sex determination ban in India and freedom of speech")
A Supreme Court ruling says internet search engines should not be stopped from showing content about prenatal sex determination, only ads. The ruling suggests efforts to restrict prenatal sex determination in order to stymie female foeticide in India are going too far and becoming too intrusive. The ruling comes amidst the continuing and long-standing controversy […]
Donald Trump: A threat to women’s health in India?
Donald Trump’s stance on abortion could pose a challenge for women’s healthcare in India. The 45th U.S. President revived the Mexico City policy within days of taking office in January. Also known as the “global gag rule”, the Mexico City Policy prevents the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from funding international non-government organisations […]