KALIKOT, April 19: Determination of the sex of a fetus and abortion based on the results are illegal in Nepal. Both the person conducting the test and the one requesting it can face legal action.
However, a 28-year-old woman from Khadachakra Municipality in Kalikot recently underwent an abortion for the second time, just a week ago. She chose to terminate the pregnancy after discovering she was carrying a daughter again.
The woman, who already has two daughters, underwent a sex determination test in Surkhet. When the test revealed her third child was also a girl, she traveled to Surkhet to get the abortion. This case reveals the hardship a mother who does not desire a son endures.
A 29-year-old woman from Sanni Tribeni Rural Municipality-2 has repeatedly undergone abortions fuelled by her desire for a son. After giving birth to three daughters, she had a sex determination test for her next pregnancy. Upon learning that the fetus was a girl, she opted for an abortion. She underwent the procedure in her village, but almost lost her life due to excessive bleeding.
Afterwards, she was rushed to Surkhet for treatment.
“I gave birth to three daughters hoping for a son. After having more daughters, I felt there was no point and chose to abort,” she said, requesting anonymity. “The suffering I have endured has no account.”
Affluent women from Kalikot are increasingly traveling to private hospitals in Surkhet and Nepalgunj to undergo fetal sex determination tests. If the fetus is a girl, they choose to have an abortion.
Dr. Subhanarayan Thakur from the district hospital in Kalikot reported a growing trend of women traveling to private hospitals in Surkhet and Nepalgunj for fetal tests and subsequent abortions. He explained that after discovering the fetus is a girl, these women often take medication from the market to terminate the pregnancy. When excessive bleeding follows, they seek treatment at the district hospital.
The desire for a son remains particularly strong in the rural areas of Kalikot. More women are undergoing fetal sex determination tests and opting for abortions if the fetus is a girl. Doctors report an increasing number of women opting for fetal sex tests and abortions when the fetus is a girl.
“Women here generally do not undergo abortions locally, but the trend of traveling to private hospitals in Surkhet and Nepalgunj for fetal sex tests and abortions if the fetus is a girl is growing," said Dr. Thakur.
He added that many women who have repeatedly undergone abortions are now at risk of their lives. He attributed traditional discrimination against daughters and illiteracy as the main causes of fetal killing.
The law allows abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. In cases where the mother's or child's life is at serious risk, or under special circumstances, abortion is permitted up to 18 weeks of pregnancy.
The legal recognition of abortion has led to an increase in the number of people seeking safe abortions in society. However, determining the fetus's sex and opting for an abortion based on the result remains illegal.
Women who desire a son undergo a sex determination test, and if the fetus is a girl, they opt for an abortion.