Men could outnumber women because of sex-selective abortion in cultures that prefer boys, according to a new study. Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications, said: “This study shows that abortion singles out women for death. The ramifications could be stark.”

The BMJ Global Health research study analysed data from over 3 billion global births over the past fifty years.

The study found that abortion led to 45 million lost females between 1970 and 2017 and that significantly more boys have been born since the 1970s, especially in Europe and Asia.

The international team of researchers concluded that “cultural preferences” for boys, combined with sex-selective abortion, could result in 4.7 million fewer girls being born, compared to boys, over the next ten years.

The researchers warn that this could lead to long-term gender imbalances. The social and economic impact may be severe.

A worrying future

Dr. Fengqing Chao, lead author of the study, said: “Fewer than expected females in a population could result in elevated levels of antisocial behaviour and violence, and may ultimately affect long-term stability and social sustainable development.”

A predominantly male population could also result in “marriage tightening” – when many men do not marry due to a shortage of females.

“Obscene discrimination”

SPUC’s Mr. Robinson said: “Abortion is being used to weed out and kill baby girls just because they are female. This is the most blatant and obscene discrimination, which deserves to be condemned in the strongest terms.

“13.5 million baby girls were killed by sex-selective abortions in India between 1987 and 2016, as SPUC reported in May.

“While abortion can never be justified, sex-selective abortion has been and still is a hugely worrying and dangerous trend, which is often denied by those responsible.

“Ann Furedi, former chief executive of BPAS, one of the largest abortion providers in the UK, has previously defended sex-selective abortions, saying that it is ‘always down to the woman’.

“It is absolutely vital that we make efforts to promote the value and equality of girls and women, not only to protect females but also to sustain a healthy and happy society, which is threatened by the ongoing slaughter of girls across the world,” said Mr Robinson.