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in the world of medicine without the quack propaganda. Today we’ll be talking about
the controversial new resolution in Europe that could bar parents from knowing their
baby’s gender. All to prevent ‘selective abortion’.
A Council of Europe committee has drafted a major resolution that would instruct medical
staff to withhold the sex of the fetus to stop people from aborting the gender they
don’t want. The practice, called selective abortion, is apparently a growing trend among
young parents that are dead set on a boy or girl.
But this idea doesn’t come without strong opposition, as midwives and doctors across
the continent are unhappy that they wouldn’t be legally allowed to share a child’s gender
to an expectant parent. It is thought to violate ethics, and strain the relationship between
doctor and patient; a relationship that needs to be built on mutual trust.
Parenting groups are also fighting the proposition, pointing out that a small but rising percentage
of people using selective abortion shouldn’t ruin something so important for many expecting
parents. There is also the logistics of planning that revolves around the infant’s gender,
and those decisions couldn’t be made until the boy or girl makes their first appearance.
So while there’s no cause for concern just yet, do you think Europe is using an extreme
measure to fight an extreme problem? Or do you think that keeping a fetus’ gender from
the parents is an unacceptable practice that limits human rights and violates privacy concerns?
Make sure to leave your comments below.
That’s it for this edition of Insider’s Health TV. I’m your host, Kimberly Walleston.
And remember: it’s your health. We’re just helping you think outside the docs.