Fears have been growing that an early-pregnancy blood test used to detect genetic conditions – set to be used by the NHS from next month – could lead to a rise in abortions based on gender. The Labour Party has called for a ban on using this test to find out the sex of the child, but still supports its use to find potential genetic conditions.
Gender based abortions exposed
In an exposé on the Victoria Derbyshire programme, thousands of British women have been found discussing using a non-invasive pre-natal test (NIPT) to determine gender in an online forum.
The NHS uses the NIPT to test for conditions such as Down’s Syndrome, but people can pay for it privately to discover a baby’s sex.
Labour MP Naz Shah said some women were using NIPT to determine the sex of their child and then abort it based on the result. She added that it was “absolutely wrong” that women felt pressured into having abortions if the baby was expected to be a girl.
The Department of Health has said that it will continue to review the evidence.
Ms Shah, who is Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, said that certain communities, such as the South Asian community, have a preference for boys.
She added that this put great strain on women, “forcing them to adopt methods such as NIPT to live up to expectations of family members”.
The NIPT involves taking a blood sample from the woman to test the risk of the baby having possible genetic conditions. When the test is rolled out across England next month, NHS doctors will not be allowed to use it to tell parents the gender of their baby.
Confusing ‘sex’ and ‘gender’
Ironically, the exposé appeared to be using the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ interchangeably – a dangerous path to tread nowadays, especially given the rise of trans ideology.
We are frequently told that ‘gender’ and ‘sex’ in adults are separate attributes that need not be aligned, but in this debate, the terms are being used synonymously.
In fact, the term ‘gendercide’ has now been coined to mean aborting based on the sex of the baby.
This shows that despite gender theorists’ best efforts, people instinctively believe that ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ should match, and that it is natural to believe they are one and the same.
Aborting for Down’s syndrome
Despite the Labour Party’s opposition to ‘gendercide’, they appear to have no problem aborting unborn children with genetic conditions.
Ms Shah said, “NIPT screenings should be used for their intended purpose, to screen for serious conditions and Down’s syndrome”.
Around 90% of parents who discover Down’s syndrome in their unborn child choose to have an abortion. Commenting on this test in a satirical video, Glen Scrivener, of the charity Speak Life, argued that, “that percentage is only set to rise with the advent of this test recommended by Naz Shah”.
The Don’t Screen Us Out campaign, aimed at getting the government to reform medical laws on NIPT to save the lives of Down’s syndrome babies, says that with the introduction of NIPT, around 92 more babies per year would be aborted as a result of having the genetic condition.
Despite the fact that aborting based on sex has been recognised as ‘morally wrong’ – and is as a matter of law, illegal – it appears that this country still has long way to go before it recognises that all life is sacred – even those lives with genetic conditions.
Andrea Williams, of Christian Concern, commented: “The great tragedy is that we have become so used to abortion that everyone thinks it is the answer to an unwanted pregnancy. But we are sold a lie by the establishment and the medical professionals that we are simply getting rid of a clump of cells. The reality of abortion protests itself, and we must stand up for the woman, the unborn child, and the family. We need to bring the message of life back to this nation.”
Links
Watch Wouldn’t Change a Thing’s karaoke video on living with Down’s syndrome.
Watch Glen Scrivener’s satirical video on ‘gendercide’.
Read more about NIPT on the Don’t Screen Us Out website.
Read more about our battle to completely outlaw sex-selective abortions.