Dr. Roxana Chapman describes how a woman came to her requesting an abortion because her baby was a girl. The woman was of Indian descent. Chapman describes the woman, Sunita, as “a sophisticated and Anglicized young lady attired in a smart trouser suit.” Chapman recounts what happened. The woman said:
“This is my third pregnancy. I have two daughters and would like a son. I just couldn’t face having another daughter.” This request came in such a natural way as to make me suppose that she thought I fully understood how important gender selection was for her…
She said that she was a Hindu and believed in reincarnation. She was also a vegetarian and did not eat meat because it involved taking animal life which she held to be sacred. She finally expressed the view that there was no law against abortion in Hinduism…
It is interesting to note that during the same month six other Indian patients attended my consulting rooms with similar requests. Their stories were all somewhat alike, and I’ve chosen just one as an illustration. With all these patients I was faced with a similar dilemma.”
Dr. Roxana Chapman Abortion: The Patient’s and the Doctor’s Dilemma (Barham Press, 2007) 44 – 45, 47
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