Abortion in China
Abortion in China is legal and is a government service available on request for women.[1] In addition to virtually universal access to contraception, abortion is a way for China to contain its population in accordance with its one-child policy.[2]
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Statistics
Exact statistics on the number of abortions performed annually are hard to come by as not all abortions are registered and Family Planning statistics are usually considered state secrets.[3] However in 2008, there were an estimated 13 million abortions performed, and approximately 10 million abortion pills sold.[3] Induced abortions are more common in urban areas, where couples may only have one child.[4] In rural areas, it is permissible to have a second child if the first born is a girl and a "second-birth permit" is granted, costing approximately 4,000 yuan (US$600).[5] By the 70s, abortion was officially termed a "remedial measure" for realising China's goals of controlling the population.[6]
Sex-selective abortion
The exception to the otherwise general permissibility of abortion in China is that the practice of pre-natal sex determination and sex-selective abortion for non-medical reasons are illegal.[7][8] It is argued that sex-selective abortion continues to be one of the key factors in the notably imbalanced sex-ratio in China, as the imbalance cannot be explained solely by the underreporting of female births or by excess female infant mortality.[9] In 2001, 117 boys were born to every 100 girls.[9] These trends are explained by the persistence of a preference for sons in Chinese families.[10]
In 2005, the government began an Action Plan consisting of ten policies with the aim of normalising the sex ratio of newborns by 2010.[11] Under this plan, sex-selective abortion was outlawed, as was prenatal sex diagnosis, and harsher punishments were implemented for violating both. Other policies include controlling the marketing of ultrasonic B machines and improving the systems used by medical and Family Planning organisations to report on births, abortions and pregnancies.[11]
Despite this, sex-selective abortion continues to be practiced, as it is not easily regulated by governments and because son-preference persists.[9][12] Moreover, in many cases the couple can pay, or will try to pay, to be told the sex of their child while having an ultrasound.[13]
Family planning
The importance of abortions as a family planning tool is evident through the extensive implementation of medical abortions (abortion induced by pills, which can be performed in early pregnancy) in China. In fact, such abortions were legalized in China in 1988, earlier than any other place and are already produced in a large scale in China for many years. It is unclear whether the efficiency of the procedure reaches the high success rates it has in many western countries, but it is highly promoted by Chinese doctors[14] and much less invasive than regular abortions.
References
- ^ http://www.actnow.com.au/Issues/Abortion_confusion.aspx
- ^ Hesketh, Therese . Lu, Li. Xing, Zhu Wei, Sept 2005, "The Effect of China’s One-Child Family Policy After 25 Years", The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 353, Iss. 11. Retrieved 5 Dec 2011.
- ^ a b Report: China aborts 13 million babies a year". Burlington, Vermont: Burlington Free Press. 31 July 2009. pp. 2A.
- ^ Garner, Paul. Qian, Xu. Tang, Shenglan, Jan 2004, “Unintended Pregnancy and Induced Abortion Among Unmarried Women in China: A Systematic Review,” BMC Health Services Research, Bio Med Central, p. 3.
- ^ Junhong, Chu, June 2001, “Prenatal Sex Determination and Sex-Selective Abortion in Rural Central China,” Population and Development Review, Vol. 27, Iss. 2, p. 264. Retrieved 3 Sept 2010.
- ^ Nie, Jing-Bao. Feb 2010, “Limits of State Intervention in Sex-Selective Abortion: The Case of China,” Culture, Health and Sexuality, Vol. 12, Iss. 2, p. 206. Retrieved 3 Sept 2010.
- ^ Nie, Jing-Bao. Feb 2010, “Limits of State Intervention in Sex-Selective Abortion: The Case of China,” Culture, Health and Sexuality, Vol. 12, Iss. 2, p. 205.
- ^ Junhong, Chu, June 2001, “Prenatal Sex Determination and Sex-Selective Abortion in Rural Central China,” Population and Development Review, Vol. 27, Iss. 2, p. 262.
- ^ a b c Hesketh, Therese . Lu, Li. Xing, Zhu Wei, Sept 2005, “The Effect of China’s One-Child Family Policy After 25 Years, The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 353, Iss. 11.
- ^ Junhong, Chu, June 2001, “Prenatal Sex Determination and Sex-Selective Abortion in Rural Central China,” Population and Development Review, Vol. 27, Iss. 2, p. 267.
- ^ a b Nie, Jing-Bao. Feb 2010, “Limits of State Intervention in Sex-Selective Abortion: The Case of China,” Culture, Health and Sexuality, Vol. 12, Iss. 2, p. 207.
- ^ Junhong, Chu, June 2001, “Prenatal Sex Determination and Sex-Selective Abortion in Rural Central China,” Population and Development Review, Vol. 27, Iss. 2, p. 261.
- ^ Junhong, Chu, June 2001, “Prenatal Sex Determination and Sex-Selective Abortion in Rural Central China,” Population and Development Review, Vol. 27, Iss. 2, p. 269.
- ^ Medical Abortions in China - A Long Lasting Love Affair, Thinking Chinese, March 2011
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