"There is such a thing as too many daughters, but not too many sons": A qualitative study of son preference and fetal sex selection among Indian immigrants in the United States

Social Science and Medicine

Volumn 72, Issue 7, 2011, Pages 1169-1176

  Puri, Sunita ^a   Adams, Vincanne ^a   Ivey, Susan ^b   Nachtigall, Robert D ^c  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA   (United States)

Author keywords

Family violence; Gender; Immigration and health; Reproductive coercion; Reproductive decision making; Reproductive technology; Sex selection; Son preference; South asian women; USA

Indexed keywords

ASIAN IMMIGRANT; DECISION MAKING; GENDER ROLE; PSYCHOLOGY; QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS; SEXUAL SELECTION; SON PREFERENCE; VIOLENCE; WOMENS STATUS;

AMBIVALENCE; ARTICLE; EMOTIONAL STABILITY; FAMILY VIOLENCE; FEMALE; GENDER AND SEX; HUMAN; IMMIGRANT; INDIAN; PREGNANCY TERMINATION; SEMI STRUCTURED INTERVIEW; SEXUAL SELECTION; SOCIAL CLASS; SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT; SOCIALIZATION; UNITED STATES; VERBAL HOSTILITY;

ABORTION, INDUCED; ADOLESCENT; ADULT; ATTITUDE; CULTURE; EMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRANTS; FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS; FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES; FEMALE; HUMANS; INDIA; INTERVIEWS AS TOPIC; NUCLEAR FAMILY; SEX FACTORS; SEX PRESELECTION; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS; SPOUSE ABUSE; UNITED STATES; YOUNG ADULT;

UNITED STATES;

EID: 79953746839     PISSN: 02779536     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.01.027     Document Type: Article

References (48)

1. Aravamudan G. Disappearing daughters: The tragedy of female foeticide 2007, Penguin Books, New Delhi.
2. Bacchus L., Mezey G., Bewley S. A qualitative exploration of the nature of domestic violence in pregnancy. Violence Against Women 2006, 12:588-604.
3. Beck-Gernsheim E. From the pill to test tube babies: new options, new pressures in reproductive behavior. Healing technologies: Feminist perspectives 1989, 23-40. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. K. Strother Radcliff (Ed.).
4. Becker G. The Elusive embryo: How men and women approach new reproductive technologies 2000, University of California Press.
5. Becker G., Castrillo M., Jackson R., Nachtigall R.D. Infertility among low-income Latinos. Fertility and Sterility 2006, 85:882-887.
6. Chan K.L., Brownridge D.A., Tiwari A., Fong D.Y., Leung W.C. Understanding violence against Chinese women in Hong Kong: an analysis of risk factors with a special emphasis on the role of in-law conflict. Violence Against Women 2008, 11:1295-1312.
7. Chervenak F.A., McCullough L.B. Should sex identification be offered as part of the routine ultrasound examination?. Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology 1996, 8:293-294.
8. Clark C.J., Silverman J.G., Shahrouri M., Everson-Rose S., Groce N. The role of the extended family in women's risk of intimate partner violence in Jordan. Social Science & Medicine 2009, 70:144-151.
9. Coker A.L. Does physical intimate partner violence affect sexual health? A systematic review. Trauma, Violence & Abuse 2007, 8:149-177.
10. Croll E. Endangered daughters: Discrimination and development in Asia 2000, Routledge, London.
11. Dagar R. Life enhancing mechanisms, life depriving outcomes: case of female foeticide 2001, Institute for Development and Communication, Chandigarh.
12. Dai J. Preconception sex selection: perspective of a person of the undesired gender. American Journal of Bioethics 2001, 1:37-38.
13. Dasgupta M. Selective discrimination against female children in rural Punjab, India. Population and Development Review 1987, 13:77-100.
14. Dogra C.S. Death becomes her. Outlook India 2006, 66-70. February 27, 2006.
15. Fair C. Female foeticide among Vancouver Sikhs: reconceptualizing sex selection in the North American diaspora. International Journal of Punjab Studies 1996, 3:1-44.
16. Franklin S., Roberts C. Born and made: An ethnography of preimplantation genetic diagnosis 2006, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
17. George S.M., Abel R., Miller B.D. Female infanticide in rural South India. Economic and Political Weekly 1992, 27:1153-1156.
18. Ginsburg F., Rapp R. Conceiving the new world order: The global politics of reproduction 1995, University of California Press, Berkeley.
19. Greenhalgh S. Just one child: Science and policy in Deng's China 2008, University of California Press.
20. Hathaway J.E., Willis G., Zimmer B., Silverman J.G. Impact of partner abuse on women's reproductive lives. Journal of the American Medical Women's Association 2005, 60:42-45.
21. Inhorn M. Infertility and patriarchy: The cultural politics of gender and family life in Egypt 1996, University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia.
22. Inhorn M. Local babies, global science: Gender, religion, and in vitro fertilization in Egypt 2003, Routledge Press, New York.
23. Jha P., Kumar R., Vasa P., Dhingra N., Thiruchelvam D., Moineddin R. Low female [corrected]-to-male [corrected] sex ratio of children born in India: national survey of 1.1 million households. Lancet 2006, 367:211-218.
24. Kandiyoti D. Bargaining with patriarchy. Gender and Society 1998, 2:274-290.
25. Khanna S. Traditions and reproductive technology in an urbanizing North Indian village. Social Science & Medicine 1997, 44:171-180.
26. Khosla A.H., Dua D., Devi L., Sud S.S. Domestic violence in pregnancy in North Indian women. Indian Journal of Medical Sciences 2005, 59:195-199.
27. Kishwar M. When daughters are unwanted: sex determination tests in India. Manushi 1995, 86:15-22.
28. Lee Y.S., Hadeed L. Intimate partner violence among Asian immigrant communities: health/mental health consequences, help-seeking behaviors, and service utilization. Trauma Violence Abuse 2009, 10:143-170.
29. Lyerly A.D., Steinhauser K., Voils C., Namey E., Alexander C., Bankowski B., et al. Fertility patients' views about frozen embryo disposition: results of a multi-institutional U.S. survey. Fertility and Sterility 2010, 93:499-509.
30. Miller E., Decker M.R., Reed E., Raj A., Hathaway J.E., Silverman J.G. Male partner pregnancy-promoting behaviors and adolescent partner violence: findings from a qualitative study with adolescent females. Ambulatory Pediatrics 2007, 7:360-366.
31. Miller E., Jordan B., Levenson R., Silverman J.G. Reproductive coercion: connecting the dots between partner violence and unintended pregnancy. Contraception 2010, 81:457-459.
32. Miller B.D. The Endangered sex: Neglect of female children in rural North India 1997, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
33. Moore A.M., Frohwirth L., Miller E. Male reproductive control of women who have experienced intimate partner violence in the United States. Social Science & Medicine 2010, 70:1737-1744.
34. Pallitto C.C., Campbell J.C., O'Campo P. Is intimate partner violence associated with unintended pregnancy? A review of the literature. Trauma Violence Abuse 2005, 6:217-230.
35. Pande R., Malhotra A. Son preference and daughter neglect in India: What happens to living girls? 2006, International Center for Research on Women, Washington, D.C.
36. Patel V. Sex-determination and sex- preselection tests in India: modern techniques for femicide. Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars 1989, 21.
37. Puri S., Nachtigall D. "The ethics of sex selection: a comparison of the attitudes and experiences of primary care physicians and physician providers of clinical sex selection services. Fertility and Sterility 2010, 93(7):2107-2114.
38. Raj A., Sabarwal S., Decker M.R., Nair S., Jethva M., Krishnan S., et al. Abuse from in-laws during pregnancy and post-partum: qualitative and quantitative findings from low-income mothers of Infants in Mumbai, India. Maternal and Child Health Journal 2010, (print ahead of publication).
39. Raj A., Silverman J. Immigrant South Asian women at greater risk for injury from intimate partner violence. American Journal of Public Health 2003, 93:435-437.
40. Ramanamma A., Bambawale U. The mania for sons: an analysis of social values in South Asia. Social Science & Medicine 1980, 15:107-110.
41. Rapp R. Testing women, testing the fetus: The social impact of amniocentesis in America 1999, Routledge, New York.
42. Bodies of technology: Women's involvement with reproductive medicine 2000, Ohio State University Press, Columbus. A. Saetnan, N. Oudshoorn, M. Kirejczyk (Eds.).
43. Sauer M.V. Gender selection: pressure from patients and industry should not alter our adherence to ethical guidelines. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2004, 5:1543-1545.
44. Silverman J.G., Decker M.R., Reed E., Raj A. Intimate partner violence victimization prior to and during pregnancy among women residing in 26 U.S. states: associations with maternal and neonatal health. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2006, 195:140-148.
45. Thiel de Bocanegra H., Rostovtseva D.P., Khera S., Godhwani N. Birth control sabotage and forced sex: experiences reported by women in domestic violence shelters. Violence Against Women 2010, 16:601-612.
46. Williams C.M., Larsen U., McCloskey L.A. Intimate partner violence and women's contraceptive use. Violence Against Women 2008, 14:1382-1396.
47. Wingood G.M., DiClemente R.J. The effects of an abusive primary partner on the condom use and sexual negotiation practices of African-American women. American Journal of Public Health 1997, 87:1016-1018.
48. Winkvist A., Akhtar H.Z. God should give daughters to rich families only: attitudes towards childbearing among low-income women in Punjab, Pakistan. Social Science & Medicine 2000, 51.