Question

Amniocentesis for sex determination is banned in our country. Is this ban necessary? Comment.

Answer 1

Hint: Amniocentesis is a type of prenatal diagnostic technique that can be used to determine certain metabolic disorders of the developing foetus. In India however, this method can lead to a large number of female foeticides which is still prevalent in our country.

Complete answer:
Yes, the ban on amniocentesis for sex determination is necessary in India.
Amniocentesis is a prenatal medical procedure that is used to determine certain metabolic disorders and chromosomal aberrations in an unborn foetus. However, this method can also be used to determine the sex of the unborn foetus.
In a country like India, where there are certain socioeconomic problems and prevalence of certain malpractices such as female foeticides, this method can be easily misused. In order to prevent this, amniocentesis to determine the sex of a foetus is banned in our country.

Additional Information:
The procedure of amniocentesis involves the aspiration of a small amount of the amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac inside the uterus of the mother. This fluid contains some of the foetal tissues and thus foetal DNA can be examined from this sample.
The foetal DNA is examined for any chromosomal aberrations and abnormalities and treated with gene therapy if possible. In certain cases where the prognosis is bad, even abortion may be advised by the health care worker.
While examining the foetal tissues, it is also possible to determine the sex by looking at the sex chromosomes present in the amniotic fluid.

Note: -In India, amniocentesis is banned only for sex determination. Under valid conditions such as the predilection for certain genetic disorders and history in the family, amniocentesis may be carried out for analysis.
-Amniocentesis for sex determination is not banned worldwide and carried out in many western countries, where female foeticide is not prevalent.