Public opinion sought on draft gender selection bans

A draft to ban fetal sex determination without medical need and induced termination of pregnancy for gender selection was issued for public opinion on Wednesday, China News Service reported the same day.

Written by the National Health and Family Planning Commission with assistance from the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration For Industry and Commerce and the China Food and Drug Administration, the draft expands on regulations put into force on Jan 1, 2003.

The new draft has 28 items, up from the current 20, that give explanations and definitions of fetal sex determination without medical need and induced termination for gender selection.

It also places such bans under local government management responsibility for family planning, details in which situations induced termination of pregnancy can be carried out, and outlines the punishment and penalties for those individuals and medical institutions that break the regulations.