Biology · Reproductive Health · NEET
Only its misuse for sex determination is banned. Amniocentesis itself is legal and useful. It analyses the amniotic fluid and foetal cells to detect genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, haemophilia and sickle-cell anaemia. What is statutorily banned is using this test to find out whether the baby is a boy or a girl. NEET often traps students here, so remember: the test is allowed, the sex-determination use is banned.
Amniocentesis can reveal the sex of the foetus. Some families misuse this: if the report shows a female foetus, they get it aborted (an MTP done for the wrong reason). Killing a female foetus in this way is called female foeticide. NCERT calls this a dangerous trend and says it is totally against what is legal. This is why the sex-determination use was banned by law.
No. MTP (Medical Termination of Pregnancy) is a legal medical procedure to remove an unwanted pregnancy under proper rules. Female foeticide is the illegal abortion of a female foetus only because it is a girl, usually after misusing amniocentesis for sex determination. So MTP is legal and controlled; female foeticide is a misuse of MTP and is illegal.
Yes. The statutory ban on amniocentesis for sex determination is one of the strategies mentioned under the Reproductive and Child Health Care (RCH) programme. Be careful with wording in Assertion-Reason questions: it is the BAN on amniocentesis that is the strategy, not the use of amniocentesis for sex determination. NEET 2023 tested exactly this fine difference.
It detects chromosomal and genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, haemophilia and sickle-cell anaemia, and it can also check foetal survivability. It cannot detect structural malformations like cleft palate. This exact point was asked in NEET 2016, where cleft palate was the incorrect option.
Assertion A: Amniocentesis for sex determination is one of the strategies of Reproductive and Child Health Care programme. Reason R: Ban on amniocentesis checks increasing menace of female foeticide. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer.
In context of Amniocentesis, which of the following statement is incorrect?
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
Female foeticide is the illegal abortion of a female foetus only because it is a girl. It usually follows the misuse of amniocentesis for sex determination and is reported to be high in India.
Because people misused it to abort female foetuses, causing female foeticide and a falling sex ratio. India passed a statutory (legal) ban on using amniocentesis to find the sex of the unborn child.
To detect genetic and chromosomal disorders in the foetus, such as Down syndrome, haemophilia and sickle-cell anaemia, and to check foetal survivability.
It is usually performed when the woman is about 14 to 16 weeks pregnant, when enough amniotic fluid can be safely sampled.
Female foeticide is one dangerous form of illegal MTP, where a pregnancy is terminated only because the foetus is female. NCERT calls it totally against what is legal.
