Disappearing Daughters: Sex selective abortion in India, a District level analysis of EAG states
In Indian traditions, values and customs crusted over time have resulted in the insatiable desire for sons. Consequently, women and girls are accorded lower status in the Indian society and less preferred. At present sex selective abortion is main culprit behind declining sex ratio in India. In India 0-6 age group sex ratio is declined rapidly from 976 (Census 1951) to 919 (Census 2011) in last 70 years. Sonography is commonly used in India to kill our own daughters before their birth.
METHODS:
The objective of the present study is to explore relationship between induced abortion and sex ratio at birth. The data for the present study has been taken from Annual Health Survey 2011-12 and Census of India 2011. AHS is carried out in eight EAG states and Assam in all 284 districts during the period October 2011-April 2012. Correlation and Regression analysis is used to explore relationship between abortion of last pregnancy and declining sex ratio at birth. Bootstrap sampling is used to calculate 95% confidence interval
RESULTS:
According to Census 2011 sex ratio at birth of India is 910. The correlation between sex ratio at birth and sonography before abortion is -0.377 (95% CI -0.473 to -0.280) with p value <0.001. Out of total pregnancy 4.84% (95% CI 4.54-5.18) pregnancies terminates in an induced abortion. The mean time of pregnancy at abortion is 3.14 months (95% CI 3.08-3.20). The regression line for sex ratio at birth can be written as:
Sex ratio at birth=940.218 - 0.377*percentage of sonography before abortion
CONCLUSIONS:
Most of the abortions in present study are done after the age of three months of pregnancy when sex determination is possible in sonography. There is inverse relationship between abortion and sex ratio at birth.