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Canada Withholding Sex Of Fetus Could Curb ‘Female Feticide’ In Canada: Doctor

Jan 6, 2005
3,450
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Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

SherYl UBelacker
Toronto— The Canadian Press
Published Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 12:45PM EST
Last updated Monday, Jan. 16, 2012 12:55PM EST

webpregnant_1358701cl-3.jpg


Dr. Rajendra Kale calls it the most severe and repugnant form of discrimination against females — and he wants to see it stopped.

The practice of aborting a female fetus after the parents learn the sex of their developing child through ultrasound is not as widespread in Canada as in such countries as India and China, where a cultural and often religious preference for boys has led to the estimated destruction of millions of females in the womb.
But Dr. Kale says smaller numbers in Canada, estimated in the thousands, are no reason to ignore such gender-based violence.

“Female feticide devalues women completely,” said Dr. Kale, interim editor-in-chief of the Canadian Medical Association Journal. He wants to see doctors withhold information about the sex of a child in the womb until 30 weeks' gestation to prevent “an unquestioned abortion” because parents prefer a boy.
Dr. Kale said research in Canada has found the strongest evidence of fetal sex selection among some Canadians of Asian descent, including people from India, China, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

“What this means is that many couples who have two daughters and no son selectively get rid of female fetuses until they can ensure that their third-born child is a boy,” he writes, while stressing that not all Asian-Canadians condone nor engage in the practice.

In an editorial in Monday's issue of the CMAJ, entitled “It's a girl — could be a death sentence,” Dr. Kale puts the onus squarely on the medical community to try to halt sex-based abortion.

He calls on the provincial colleges that regulate physicians to rule that health-care professionals should not reveal a baby's sex to any woman before 30 weeks of pregnancy.

“I'm arguing that the sex of the fetus is medically irrelevant information because it does not affect care in any way whatsoever, except in the very rare instance where you have sex-linked genetic diseases,” Dr. Kale said in an interview.

“Doing so should be deemed contrary to good medical practice. Such clear direction from regulatory bodies would be the most important step toward curbing female feticide in Canada.”

Dr. Kale said waiting to divulge the sex of the fetus until after the start of the third trimester would still give parents who want to know whether they are having a boy or a girl enough time to prepare their nursery or purchase appropriate clothing.

“So you're just postponing the point at which you deliver that information,” he said.

While the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, for instance, does not have a specific policy on sex-selected abortion, the regulatory body does advise its members that it is “contrary to good medical practice to use ultrasound only to view the fetus to obtain a picture or video of the fetus or to determine the gender of the fetus,” spokeswoman Kathryn Clarke said by email.

The B.C. regulatory body likewise states that testing to identify fetal sex should not be used to accommodate societal preferences, that terminating a pregnancy for an undesired sex is repugnant and it is unethical for a doctor to facilitate such a course of action.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada said Dr. Kale's proposal runs counter to the medical group's policy that a patient's request for disclosure should be respected.

“Examination of the fetal genitalia is a recognized part of the routine second-trimester obstetric ultrasound,” the SOGC said in an emailed statement. “Providing patients with results of diagnostic imaging procedures is part of the Canadian standard of care, and fetal sex determination and disclosure should not be exempt.

“Therefore, the SOGC believes it is the right of the patient to be informed of the gender of their fetus, and that this information should not be withheld.”

The professional organization also said Dr. Kale fails to acknowledge cultural values that lead some people to seek pregnancy termination based on the sex of the fetus and does not take into account biochemical testing products that can give expectant parents a highly accurate fetal sex determination as early as eight weeks into pregnancy.

“The SOGC in no way condones pregnancy termination based on non-medical reasons, such as the gender of the fetus. The SOGC feels strongly that it is the cultural values and norms in specific segments of the Canadian population that must change to ensure that females are not confronted with procedures and intolerant environments before or after they are born.”

Though reasonably intentioned, Kale's call for policy changes is likely a moot one in any case, said Bernard Dickens, professor emeritus of health law and policy at the University of Toronto.

During deliberations of the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, it was suggested that withholding the gender of a fetus could be a way to reduce the possibility of sex-based abortion, but the control device wasn't built into the subsequent legislation, the 2004 Assisted Human Reproduction Act.

Mr. Dickens suggested that was likely because the Supreme Court of Canada, in the case of McInerney v. MacDonald, had ruled in 1992 that patients' medical information is not owned by their physicians and must be surrendered at a patient's request.

“If the patient persists and wants to know the sex ... the doctor cannot lawfully deny the patient the information,” he said.

For Dr. Kale's goal to be fulfilled, new legislation would be needed that contradicts the Supreme Court decision, but introduction of such a law would no doubt trigger a challenge based on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Dickens said.

A challenge could be based on contravention of a number of enshrined rights, including discrimination on the grounds of the right to security of the person, that women have the right to continue only wanted pregnancies.

There are also pockets among some of Canada's immigrant Asian communities that hold strong religious beliefs that a male heir is necessary to carry on the family name and to perform certain rites to ensure deceased parents have a proper afterlife.

“And, of course, this could trigger a Charter claim of denying religious convictions or violating the anti-discrimination provision of the Charter,” Mr. Dickens said. “So any legislation could trigger a Charter argument on that sort of ground.”

source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...ale-feticide-in-canada-doctor/article2304046/
 
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Inderjeet Kaur

Writer
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Oct 13, 2011
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Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

This creeping evil seems to follow us around wherever we go.

In Canada, a doctor is not allowed to hide medical facts from a patient. Such knowledge is considered a fundamental right, so not telling really isn't an option. It doesn't work anyway, as we have discovered in India.

What is needed is - forgive my use of the cliche - a paradigm shift. Something completely new and novel to the Punjabi patriarchal culture. We need to teach and be taught the equality of girls and boys and that each is an equally welcome blessing.

WHAT!? You say that is what our Gurus have taught us all along?! Do tell.

Laws aren't enough. They may help, but are at best only a stop gap measure. Only a complete change of heart and mind (and finances) will solve this problem.

The groom's family must refuse dowry. The bride's family must refuse enormous weddings that pander only to haumai. Those two especially in India, but also in the diaspora.

More, we simply must reclaim the natural love we have for all our children regardless of gender. If even our Gurus cannot convince us to do this, I don't know how we will do it. But do it we must. We are now on the road to communal suicide, heading like the proverbial lemmings over the cliff into the ocean of nonexistence below.
 

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Jan 17, 2012
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Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

LESSONS FROM GOD ; What happens to a Baby's Soul after Abortion or Miscarriage
.


(Please think about this then read the following)
.


One fine morning at home, I was chanting mantras when Sai Babaji appeared and said " come with me", we reappeared in a Gurudwara (temple) with my wife also sitting next to me in the temple Hall.
.


Babaji looked at us and said '' I have brought someone to meet you''
.



I said, "Baba 'who have you brought''
.

Baba said ''Come, meet your other daughter''


.
I was totally confused ''Baba you are mistaken we have a daughter we do not have another, ''

'' AHA,! said Baba '' She is your other daughter, do you not, remember the trauma your wife suffered during miscarriage 15 years ago?"
.

I replied, "Baba, why have you brought her to see us''

I saw this girl standing next to us tall and very serene as if she had been touched by the hand of GOD!.
.


Baba spoke ''
When the mother has a miscarriage or Abortion it is not automatic that the child's soul ascends, If the parents are constantly immersed in prayers then God intervenes and send Angels to take the Baby soul to Heaven/appropriate place, if not in prayers -- then the Baby soul can be trapped in Limbo, becoming a BHOOT/Spirit , and normally attaches itself to it's mother where it is home!
.


images
images
images
images
images





.
From the mothers body the Baby soul may cause untold Trauma to its Mother/father and all around. Many times the Soul has no idea that its body/temple has died! The soul watches everything the parents do and interferes with their emotions. Amarjit, this is why its important to immerse in God prayers always.
.


God has acknowledged your prayers & Devotion & intervened to take your baby soul Home!".

Baba took hold of our daughters hand and the gates of Heaven opened and he disappeared with the Angels.
.

Its only when the Hand of God touches us we realise there is more to life then what we perceive.

We should open our senses and allow our Inner Godhead to awaken.


Baba says "I am God, You too are God but you fail to recognise this!
.






Click here: Abortion
.




With Miscarriage and Abortions invariably the baby soul stays within the mothers Womb where it was conceived as it is home to it.
.
The mother has no idea why she has gone into depression after miscarriage or abortion. She has no idea it could be the Traumatic Soul stuck to her.
.
From the womb the Baby Soul then may choose to cause a lot of suffering to her host/ ie Mom and people around. If the baby Soul becomes possessive of the Mother then it will invariably become very jealous and act accordingly with the people attached to MOM!

With an Abortion / Miscarriage while it may be argued that the foetus has no soul in it in the early stages, it was shown to me by Baba that the foetus can be classified as a Phantom Living organism of the Mother similar to ' The Phantom Limb'.

.
So Aborting the foetus is similar to that of having a trauma when you loose part of your body, say the Limb , Kidney etc. The very fact of removing this living organism causes Untold trauma especially in the Mother.
.
Our body is the temple of God 'Do not defile your Temple'.


Being born as a woman conceiving Wow, Men find it hard to understand why their women behave strangely.
.

Meditate on this - for approx 9 months the Mother has 2 soul within her body hers and the baby's.
The baby's mind can also influence the mother during this period!
.


Case Study :

My first teaching from Baba happened at a friend's house.
We were praying and suddenly I saw inside his mothers womb a baby soul due to an old miscarriage some 40 years previously.
I asked his Mother to ask God to release this soul to Heaven.
She became nasty and I was asked to leave immediately!
Nowadays I have to be very careful how I word myself.
.












Case Study
I was praying with a woman who had gone into depression and ill health when suddenly Sai Baba showed me in her womb was a dark energy. I spoke to this energy and it manifested to 2 Aborted souls which the mother had inside her for over 9 years!.
The souls were jealous of each other and fighting each other inside her womb giving her health and emotional problems within her family. Baba took the souls away after we prayed for their release their Karma to be forgiven . The lady since has changed for the better.
.
Case Study

Another lady suffering from Weakness/Emotional problems had darkness attached to her breast.
When I spoke to this darkness it turned out to be an aborted baby soul which was sucking her mothers breast for milk , energetically and draining Mom of all her energies.
A SPIRIT HAS LIMITLESS Energy
.
Baba then took away this soul as well. She has changed for the better since with Gods Grace.
.
If the women dies with the soul still stuck with her then this becomes a Karmic issue. If say the women is reborn as a man or a woman in the next life this trauma still follows the person reincarnated.


We have seen sometimes the energy becomes absorbed into a Karma Issue or in some cases the Soul waits for the rebirth of the soul it was attached to and as soon as it reincarnates it attaches itself to this Soul , the new body may not be a women it could be a man.
This Karma can be released thru mantras, prayer deep devotion to God or Sadhanas like Vortex , or the Grace of your Guru.
.
Amarjit


Click here: Spiritual Reality - Transcribed | dotSUB
.


Click here: Phantom limb - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
.


Click here: The Hickman Academy, for Spirit Release and Healing Remote Spirit Release, Worldwide






 

Harry Haller

Panga Master
SPNer
Jan 31, 2011
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Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

Amarjitji,

Am I missing something, or am I being particularly stupid this morning?

Your above post is lauding ghosts, spirits, Babas, rituals, spam, and that's just while speed reading, I find it quite offensive to be honest, and most of it is completely inconsistent with Sikhi.

Having said that, I respect your sentiments and your direction but I feel it needs to be pointed out that although the direction of your post is commendable, the path , I feel could be misleading to members

Gurfateh

Making a judgement on a speed read is possibly not a good idea, so I have spent some time Veerji on the links and material you have posted, I think this sort of thing gives people a lot of false hope, takes precious time away from the real pragmatic solutions, and although no financial details are given, I would be surprised if money did not change hands, reading the testimonials is impressive, but all I would say is that for every 1 testimonial that is positive, there could be 100 where people have died, or made themselves more sick by putting faith in something like this,
 
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Harry Haller

Panga Master
SPNer
Jan 31, 2011
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Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’

is the pope catholic.............
 
Jan 17, 2012
81
72
73
london uk
Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

In our Path every day I read the following which Babaji wrote :
[
(In our Sacred Sukhmani Sahib Astpadi 10 Babaji talks of many dimensions

In these dimensions are many elemental and
spirit creatures). 10 ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਭੂਤ ਪ੍ਰੇਤ ਸੂਕਰ ਮ੍ਰਿਗਾਚ
Ka▫ī kot bẖūṯ pareṯ sūkar marigācẖ.
Many millions are the evil nature-spirits, ghosts, pigs and tigers.
ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਪਾਤਾਲ ਕੇ ਵਾਸੀ
Ka▫ī kot pāṯāl ke vāsī.
Millions upon millions are the dwellers of the under-worlds.



Click here: Sukhmani - SikhiWiki, free Sikh encyclopedia.





Amarjitji,

Am I missing something, or am I being particularly stupid this morning?

Your above post is lauding ghosts, spirits, Babas, rituals, spam, and that's just while speed reading, I find it quite offensive to be honest, and most of it is completely inconsistent with Sikhi.

Having said that, I respect your sentiments and your direction but I feel it needs to be pointed out that although the direction of your post is commendable, the path , I feel could be misleading to members

Gurfateh

Making a judgement on a speed read is possibly not a good idea, so I have spent some time Veerji on the links and material you have posted, I think this sort of thing gives people a lot of false hope, takes precious time away from the real pragmatic solutions, and although no financial details are given, I would be surprised if money did not change hands, reading the testimonials is impressive, but all I would say is that for every 1 testimonial that is positive, there could be 100 where people have died, or made themselves more sick by putting faith in something like this,
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Harry Haller

Panga Master
SPNer
Jan 31, 2011
5,769
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Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

AmarjitJi

I am afraid brother that the duality of your faith only serves to confuse the issue more, not so much for me, but certainly for younger members who are still piecing together the very basics and fundamentals of Sikhi, your facebook page link shows many Vedic pictures and photos of Sai Baba, whom you have mentioned above, so which Babaji are you talking about? Our Babaji, Saibabaji?, DhadrianwaleBabaji? YogibearBabaji? it could be all very confusing...

I note you are new, and I am sure there is something we can all learn from you, provided the content is within Sikhi boundaries, otherwise I can respect your opinion, but may not wish to learn something that I find at odds with what I believe in, for instance, your post is noble in its intention I believe, and your opinion on the matter also matches mine.

If you could post the entire shabad, I would be delighted to offer my interpretation of the points you have raised.

I have no problem accepting another's views are different to mine provided they come under the umbrella of Sikhi, as in our wonderful religion there are many variants and themes that some embrace and some do not, however the very foundation, the very first brick should be that there is only one God, you seem to have failed on this in my view, if I am wrong please correct me, or are you a follower of Sanatan Sikhi?
 

Harry Haller

Panga Master
SPNer
Jan 31, 2011
5,769
8,194
54
Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

Amarjitji,

As I really must get on and do some work, I took the liberty of looking for the shabad myself, what I did find was one of your posts in yahoo groups which quoted the above, however in your essence given, you give prominence not to Waheguru, but to Saibaba.

You are the same age as my father, I am unable to continue this discussion as my line of thinking is so far away from yours, I will end up writing in a manner that may be found to be disrespectful, (I have a terrible sarcastic streak), so I will say to you good Sir, peace, love and I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for, I take solace that you are upfront and proud of who you are, and what you believe in, and not one of those that try and use subterfuge to get your message across,
 
Jan 17, 2012
81
72
73
london uk
Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

We have been born many times,
I have been a Muslim Hindu Christian amongst other religions in my life
I respect all.
The only religion Guru Nanak Devji taught was the religion of Love
which is beyond Religion. Even I have to work
www.falconflyingservices.com


Satnaam
amarjit
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jan 6, 2005
3,450
3,762
Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

Orientalist discourse on female feticide in Canada

January 18, 2012

Haroon Siddiqui - The Star, Toronto

The Canadian Medical Association Journal says the way to stop the abortion of female fetuses is to withhold disclosing the sex of a fetus until 30 weeks, by which time “an unquestioned abortion is all but impossible.” This raises questions:

Since a woman has the right to an abortion, on what basis would the state rob her of that right?

To save female fetuses, obviously. If so, would it be okay to abort male fetuses, as some women in North America are said to be doing?

Or, would the ban extend to all fetuses — as pro-lifers have long argued — including those diagnosed with life-threatening defects? Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum advocates so, and relates how his wife carried just such a baby to full term in 1996, only to see the newborn die within hours. Sarah Palin made the choice of giving birth to a boy with Down syndrome.

These legal and ethical dilemmas are not tackled by the medical journal’s editor, Dr. Rajendra Kale, in his signed editorial, “‘It’s a girl!’— could be a death sentence.”

A native of Mumbai, where he did his initial medical studies, he thinks that Indo Canadians as well those from China, Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines have imported the wretched practice into Canada.

The most authoritative voice on the “missing girls” phenomenon in India happens to be another Indo Canadian — Prof. Prabhat Jha of the University of Toronto, founding director of its Centre for Global Health Research.

He leads an internationally acclaimed study showing that up to 12 million female fetuses have been aborted in India in the last 30 years.

He also disproved that it’s mostly the illiterate poor who are desperate for sons (as insurance for old age) and who dread having a daughter (for whom they would have to raise marriage dowry that can bankrupt families).

Jha showed that female feticide is, in fact, more prevalent among educated and richer Indians. They are no different than the poor in their desire for sons (“the Indian equivalent of a Canada Pension Plan and/or an RRSP”). The difference is that they can afford the ultrasound tests and selective abortions.

They don’t devalue girls, per se, but rather desire “a balanced family.” If their first-born is a boy, they don’t go for abortions in subsequent pregnancies. But if the first or the first two are girls, the family opts to abort female fetuses.

In China, the male-female imbalance is worse than India’s, 833 per 1,000 vs. 914, Jha’s study shows.

The official one-child policy, combined with the traditional Chinese preference for male children, led to widespread selective abortions of female fetuses. By 2010, there were 32 million more boys than girls.

But are Canadians of Chinese, Indian and other Asian descent carrying on female feticide here?

Kale says they are. Some anecdotal evidence backs him. But the evidence he cites, including an American study of just 65 women from India and a Canadian one based on census, is speculative. One even admits that its findings “cannot be considered conclusive,” yet plows ahead: “it is not unreasonable to interpret them as good evidence that . . . the practice . . . is not completely abandoned by immigrants,” and that “if this is the case, there’s cause for concern,” etc. (emphases mine).

Scientists and researchers are not above mining anti-immigrant prejudices, unwittingly or otherwise. It is important that they, especially, adhere to higher standards than Orientalist radio hotline hosts. And that they subject their findings to vigorous peer reviews.

Jha is trying to properly determine the extent of female feticide among South Asian and East Asian immigrants in Canada, the U.S. and also South Africa.

The solution that Kale suggests has been in effect in India — to no effect. Disclosure of the sex of the fetus for the purpose of abortion has been illegal there since 1996.

The Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons already advises against using ultrasound to identify fetus gender. Its counterpart in B.C. says that terminating a pregnancy for an undesired sex is unethical.

There’s also the larger issue of the right of a patient to his or her medical information, a right confirmed by the Supreme Court in 1992.

As Jha says, “it’s good to raise the issue, but the solution shouldn’t do more harm than good.”

hsiddiqui@thestar.ca

source: http://www.thestar.com/opinion/edit...talist-discourse-on-female-feticide-in-canada
 
Jan 6, 2005
3,450
3,762
Metro-Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Re: Withholding sex of fetus could curb ‘female feticide’ in Canada: doctor

Today, sex selection
tomorrow, designer baby prospect looms


EDITORIAL: Vancouver Sun - January 20, 2012

The trouble with opening a can of worms is that it's mighty difficult to seal the thing up again. And when it comes to prenatal sex selection, the can of worms was opened long ago, as ultrasounds have long been able to provide obstetricians and pregnant women with information regarding the gender of their babies.

Despite that, Canadian Medical Association Journal interim editor Rajendra Kale is doing his level best to seal that particular can up again. In the current CMAJ's editorial, Kale cites evidence that prenatal sex selection - that is, aborting female fetuses - is being practised by some South and East Asian immigrants in Canada.

Calling such a practice "discrimination against women in its most extreme form," Kale asks how it can be stopped, and then answers his own question by advocating a ban on doctors providing a pregnant woman with information regarding the sex of her baby until about 30 weeks into the pregnancy - after which an abortion is highly unlikely.

Needless to say, Kale's editorial has proven deeply controversial, largely because it touches on deeply controversial matters - abortion, multicultural diversity and patient autonomy. Nevertheless, he should be praised for the editorial because it does raise an important, if uncomfortable, topic.

On the other hand, Kale's solution to the problem, which amounts to trying to seal the can of worms, is doomed to failure given that it is quite possibly illegal, and definitely impractical - or impossible.

To take the legal matter first: The Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies did discuss the possibility of withholding from pregnant women information about the sex of their fetus. However, the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, which came into force in 2004, does not prevent doctors from disclosing such information.

And for good reason, since the Supreme Court of Canada has held that a patient has a right to see all information in her medical record that the physician used to provide advice or treatment. One could argue that the sex of the baby is not a medical matter (except in cases of sex-linked diseases), but given the Supreme Court's decision, any law preventing physicians from disclosing such information would likely run afoul of the Charter.

But the legal matter is likely moot anyway, since it's now all but impossible to stop women from learning the sex of their fetuses, and in the future, it will definitely be impossible. The reason is simple: There already exist home tests that can reveal the sex of the baby, which means preventing obstetricians from providing such info becomes meaningless.

Such tests will only become more accurate in the future, and that raises another important issue: In the not-too-distant future, people will be able to buy a home test that tells them a great deal about their unborn babies. They will be able to terminate the pregnancy, not merely on the basis of the sex of the fetus, but on whether the baby has exactly the characteristics they desire.

In other words, we are about to open another can of worms, one concerning designer babies. Therefore, we need to have a serious societal discussion about where things are going, and where we want them to go. More-over, we should thank Rajendra Kale for starting that discussion, even if he only touched the tip of the iceberg.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

source:
http://www.{censored}/news/Today+selection/6025679/story.html

 

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