The Indian ultrasound paradox

Arbeitspapier

The liberalization of the Indian economy in the 1990s made prenatal ultrasound technology affordable and available to a large fraction of the population. As a result, ultrasound use amongst pregnant women rose dramatically in many parts of India. This paper provides evidence on the consequences of the expansion of prenatal ultrasound use on sex-selection. We exploit state-by-cohort variation in ultrasound use in India as a unique quasi-experiment. We find that sex-selective abortion of female fetuses is rising in states with a slow expansion of ultrasound relative to those states with a rapid expansion of ultrasound. Thus, our findings suggest that the recent rapid spread of ultrasound is not causing higher rates of sex-selection in India.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 6273

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
• Subject: ultrasound ; sex-selective abortion ; India ; Medizintechnisches Gerät ; Schwangerschaftsabbruch ; Geschlecht ; Feldforschung ; Indien

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Akbulut-Yuksel, Mevlude ; Rosenblum, Daniel
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2012

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/58533
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-201203064030
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:41 AM CET