Abortion

Hindu views toward abortion have
varied widely over the course of time.
It is unequivocally condemned in the
dharma literature, which prescribes
loss of caste for a person procuring an
abortion or for a woman having one.
This prescription may have been
based on the use of abortion to conceal illegitimate births, but it may well
have been condemned because it
entailed the loss of a potential son.
In modern times attitudes have
changed somewhat, in part because of
family planning initiatives and in
more recent times because of the
technology available for sex determination. Abortion facilities are now
more widely available in India due to
the government’s emphasis on family
planning and population control, and
there is less social stigma associated
with the procedure. However, traditional proscriptions remain. With the
advent of methods for prenatal sex
determination, couples began selectively aborting female fetuses because
sons are more highly valued in Hindu
society. This practice was widespread
and generated such concern that it
was outlawed in 1995, although the
law has reportedly only succeeded in
driving this practice underground.
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Abortion