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CHINA SHOULD FACE THE ABORTION PROBLEM





CHINA SHOULD FACE THE ABORTION PROBLEM

New York     Dr. Cesar Chelala

It is estimated that 13 million abortions are performed annually in China, a number much higher than in many industrialized nations. The reason is the persistence of the government’s one-child policy and the insufficient use of contraceptive pills. Because of the effect that abortions have on women, it is necessary to develop new policies that would make abortions unnecessary or at least much less frequently carried out.

In the 1970s, abortion in China was called a “remedial measure” for achieving China’s goals of controlling population growth. While in urban areas, couples may have only one child, in rural areas it is permitted to have a second child if the first born is a girl. However, couples should request a “second-birth” permit, which costs approximately 4,000 yuan.

Mao Zedong outlawed abortion and the use of contraception, which caused China’s population to grow from about 500 million in 1949 to almost a billion three decades later. The one-child policy was introduced under Deng Xiaoping, which allowed China to achieve remarkable economic growth.

However, although the one-child policy was initially introduced as a “temporary measure,” it is still in full force. Also practiced today are forced abortions, infanticide and involuntary sterilizations, which are widely considered as serious human rights abuses.

These practices are usually condoned by mid-level officials even though they are not government policies. The government bans abuses by local enforcers. At the same time, however, it demands that they carry out family-planning policies. Family Planning Officials track down pregnant women who already have a child and make them choose between forcibly undergoing an abortion or being fined an amount which is generally much greater than their average annual income.

Local officials are given financial incentives to meet population growth targets, a situation that often leads to abuses. In addition, some local governments offer rewards to informants who report population planning violations. Those rewards may range from 1000 yuan to 6,000 yuan per case for verified information on violations by either common citizens or government officials.

China is a global leader in the number of abortions. While the rate of abortion in China is roughly one in 100 people, it is one in 500 people in the U.S. It is believed that those numbers in China are an under-representation of reality, since forced abortions in rural areas are carried out in unlicensed clinics which do not report their activities. These clinics often lack anesthetics and proper sanitation and sterile conditions for the procedures, which may cause hemorrhages, infections and even life-long physical injuries and psychological problems.

Almost half of the abortions are carried out in women below the age of 25, many of whom are university students. According to some surveys, many among China’s youth lack some basic knowledge about sexual health. According to the China World Contraception Day Organization, almost 70 percent of Chinese women didn’t know the difference between the effect of oral contraceptives and the morning-after pill.

Studies by family planning organizations have repeatedly shown that when contraception is not widely available women will turn to abortion, even in cases when it is illegal. At the same time, when modern contraceptives are made available to women, their use over time is a major factor associated with reduced abortion rates. It is estimated that only 1.2 percent of Chinese women take oral contraceptives. In industrialized countries 30 to 50 percent of women do so.

To reduce abortions in China, policy makers should improve education in sexual matters as well as facilitate widespread information and access to modern contraceptives and by promoting their safe and effective use.

In addition, the government should seriously consider a relaxation of its one-child policy. Despite some indications that the government is already moving in this direction, there is still considerable resistance among some leading officials. Several demographers have already warned of China’s demographic emergency: a growing aging population and a diminishing work force which will be unable to support it. The sooner effective policies are put in place, the safer the women of China will be.

Dr. Cesar Chelala is an international public health consultant and a winner of an Overseas Press Club of America award. He is also the author of “Sexual and Reproductive Health”. 


 














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