canadians want legislation to regulate sex-specific abortion

[niyad]

Canadians Want Legislation to Regulate Sex-Specific Abortion

by Joel Boyce

A recent Angus-Reid poll reveals that a majority of Canadians are in favor of legislation restricting gender-based abortion. Somewhat counter-intuitively, women were more in favor of restricting abortion rights on this particular basis than men. Sixty percent of those polled (including both genders) supported such legislation, but 66 percent of women supported it.

Why ask this question all of a sudden, and in Canada, no less? The flashpoint seems to be an editorial last week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, which claimed sex-specific abortion is a growing problem. The writer argued for withholding information on an unborn child’s sex until the 30th week.
. . . . .

Back to the editorial that, apparently, prompted this poll: what constitutes a “growing” problem? The lack of numbers makes it difficult to weigh in on this matter. It’s clear that many people find the idea of selectively aborting a fetus based on its sex offensive, even if they otherwise support a liberal interpretation of women’s reproductive rights. But what are the practical consequences? Is there a significant medical danger in the increase in early-term abortions? Or is it something else?
. . . . . .

According to this National Post article, many Canadians who take measures to plan the sex of a child are not preferentially valuing boys or girls more, but simply trying to balance their new child with the one(s) they already have. Many parents, it seems, want to have at least one boy and one girl, not just one or the other.

. . . .

Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/canadians-want-legislation-to-regulate-sex-specific-abortion.html#ixzz1km6Doxa2

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. i too favor restricting on gender based abortions

because its not a health issue, its not a bad time in my life issue, its something that feels unethical. part of my views are based on the fact that i grew up in india and female infanticide in some parts of india are still very prevalent.

[Tumbulu]

2. But if a couple really do not want a daughter or a son and then

that is what they get- what they do not want- will it not be very hard for the child?

In college I had a roommate who's parents desperately wanted her to be a boy and they even called her the male version of her name......
Another woman friend had parents who hated her because she was a girl and favored her brother over her always.......

Some parents are just terrible to girls, having one of their own may not change their minds.

it is such a sad issue.

But I support choice for any reason, even one I think is a bad one.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Allowing it is also problematic especially for girls who are rarely the sought-after sex.

Problematic in that if the trend favors one sex over the other we risk having a highly imbalanced population (think China.)

I'm ambivalent because of the reason you cited. An unwanted child is not the best outcome.