Sex-Selective Abortions, Fertility, and Birth Spacing

Portner, Claus C.

World Bank Group, Washington, DC

关键词: ABORTION;    ABORTIONS AMONG WOMEN;    AGE OF MARRIAGE;    AGE OF MENARCHE;    AMNIOCENTESIS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7189
RP-ID  :  WPS7189

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Previous research on sex-selectiveabortions has ignored the interactions between fertility,birth spacing, and sex selection, despite both fertility andbirth spacing being important considerations for parentswhen deciding on the use of sex selection. This paperpresents a novel approach that jointly estimates thedeterminants of sex-selective abortions, fertility, andbirth spacing, using data on Hindu women from India'sNational Family and Health Surveys. Women with eight or moreyears of education in urban and rural areas are the mainusers of sex-selective abortions and they also have thelowest fertility. Predicted lifetime fertility for thesewomen declined 11 percent between the 1985-1994 and1995-2006 periods, which correspond to the periods of timebefore and after sex selection became illegal. Fertility isnow around replacement level. This decrease in fertility hasbeen accompanied by a 6 percent increase in the predictednumber of abortions during the childbearing years betweenthe two periods, and sex selection is increasingly used forearlier parities. Hence, the legal steps taken to combat sexselection have been unable to reverse its use. Women withfewer than eight years of education have substantiallyhigher fertility and do not appear to use sex selection.