Attitudes and Practices Toward Sex-Selective Abortion in an Urban District of Nepal: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Study

Nepal, a country with deeply ingrained patriarchal values and culture, has limited evidence regarding the practices of sex selection and sex-selective abortion. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and practices surrounding sex-selective abortion (SSA) and the factors associated with it. A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Asia-Pacific journal of public health 2024-01, Vol.36 (1), p.51-58
Main Authors: Regmi, Khusbu, Shrestha, Binjwala, Shakya, Sujata, Lamichhane, Prabhat
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abortion, Eugenic
Abortion, Induced
Adolescent
Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Family Characteristics
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Nepal
Pregnancy
Young Adult
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Summary:Nepal, a country with deeply ingrained patriarchal values and culture, has limited evidence regarding the practices of sex selection and sex-selective abortion. This study aimed to investigate the attitudes and practices surrounding sex-selective abortion (SSA) and the factors associated with it. A cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 320 women between the ages of 15 and 49, who had at least one child under the age of 5 and lived in the Bhaktapur district, Nepal. A total of 19.7% of the participants had undergone an abortion, with 39.6% of those being SSAs. Factors like women empowerment and preference for smaller family size are associated with women’s favorable attitude toward SSA. In multivariate analysis, women who faced pressure from their families to have a son and those who were aware of Nepal’s abortion laws were more likely to abort a female fetus.
ISSN:1010-5395
1941-2479
1941-2479
DOI:10.1177/10105395231218051