Technological Fix: Sex Determination in India

Abstract

Prenatal diagnostic technologies have been used for the purpose of detecting sex—leading to abortion of female fetuses—and have posed new challenges to the already difficult question of social justice for women in India. This article reports findings from a case study conducted with 25 women who had used prenatal diagnostic technologies for sex determination.Against the common belief that Indian society is “improving” because of 21st-century medical technology, this case study shows that the social context has given a patriarchal value to such advanced technology in India. Furthermore, it sheds light on why prenatal diagnostic technologies have taken a different route in India.It shows that reasons for accepting the use of prenatal diagnostic technologies for sex determination by women are diverse and complex.