India Supreme Court considers blocking Baby Gender Mentor web site to prevent sales in India

Because any prenatal sex determination (even by ultrasound) is illegal in India, due to the unbalanced sex ratio caused by aborting baby girls, India's Supreme Court has been petitioned to block the Baby Gender Mentor web site.  BGM is a DNA test which claims to be able to determine an unborn baby's gender at just 6 weeks of pregnancy with 99.9% accuracy; but was found to be very inaccurate and the company was sued in a class-action lawsuit.  For a while the test was taken off the market, but may be available again.  And apparently, after a deluge of bad press in the U.S., BGM has been advertising in Indian newspapers.

http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/47489987555C6C9E6525748D004C5A01?OpenDocument 

Unfortunately, this petition and press coverage of it probably work to BGM's advantage, because they seem to legitimize the test.  Not only do more people hear about the test, they assume the test works if the government takes steps to ban it or if there is discussion about whether the test is ethical.  

To date, India has been completely unable to enforce its laws against prenatal sex determination and sex selective abortion; there will be no difference here, people will just find a way to get the test illegally.  After all the test is mainly just a piece of special paper for collecting a blood spot; it doesn't have to be in a bright orange box, it could come in a plain white envelope.

And the people who get it will likely make a life-or-death decision based on inaccurate information.

oh boy,,,,this is soo sad....breaks my heart to see how ppl can terminate a life just becoz of gender....3 cases of Female Foeticide have occured here in Canada too(sadly enough, all 3 were indians), as a result of which the ultra sound techs here have been forbidden to divulge the baby's gender to the south asian community. If only there was some way to educate these ppl abt gender swaying. Its sad

bluebooties:

ultra sound techs here have been forbidden to divulge the baby's gender to the south asian community

Really?  That would not be allowed in the U.S., it would be considered discrimminating due to race/ethnicity. 

yes, its true, well atleast thats what my cousin(whos a well experienced sonographer here) told me, she said that theyve(authorities) have asked her to see if the person has a DD b4, and if they have even 1 DD, shes not supposed to tell them the gender. Personally i think this is ok, coz i know the south asian mentality regarding female children(im south asian myslef). They think of her as a burden. 

bluebooties:

oh boy,,,,this is soo sad....breaks my heart to see how ppl can terminate a life just becoz of gender....3 cases of Female Foeticide have occured here in Canada too(sadly enough, all 3 were indians), as a result of which the ultra sound techs here have been forbidden to divulge the baby's gender to the south asian community.

Wow..I didnt know that. I am Asian..from India and when I went for my 20 week u/sound when pregnant with my DS, the tech asked me before she started the scan  if I wanted to know the gender or not. I said no and she said that she was asking coz she didnt want to say the gender by mistake if I didnt want to know. She didnt say anything abt being forbidden to tell me the gender.

im thinking thats becoz u were having a boy.

She asked me before she started the scan..she herself didnt know then that it was a boy. Lets see what happens with my next scan if I do happen to conceive a girl. I will be very annoyed if they dont tell me gender if its a girl coz I really want a girl.

maybe the rules are different for where u live....i live in the GTA, where majority of south asians live, maybe thats why? (btw, i told my tech repeatedly that i really wanted a girl this time, but still, no answer)...EVvvveryone i know around here is having the same experience, plus now theyve even put up Huge signs at the docs offices saying "Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES will the baby's gender be revealed to you"...seriously...its very frustrating.....

I live in the GTA too. I remember way back in 2006 that they were not telling gender in B.C. Maybe it started from there. I so badly want a girl and I will be very upset if they dont tell me at scan. I suppose if they dont tell I will have to pay and go to UC baby or some place like that and pay for it.