Increasing Number of Career Women Hit Abort Button in Bangalore

Bangalore, May 26 (Bangalore Mirror): An increasing number of couples in the city are putting off childbearing and opting for abortion so as to enhance their careers, doctors in the city say.
 
Gynaecologists say that couples, mosly those who have been married for less than a year and hold jobs in the IT sector, are opting to terminate pregnancies as they feel starting a family would stymie career growth.

Dr Padmini Prasad, gynaecologist and sexologist, Ramamani Nursing home, Rajajinagar said, “The trend of termination of pregnancy among young couples is increasing. On an average we get five cases in a month.

Three years ago it used to be about one in a month or even one in two months. People are increasingly becoming career-oriented and they don’t want to burden themselves with a pregnancy.”

Dr Chitra Ramamurthy, consultant gynaecologist, Apollo Hospital, concurred. “Yes, there is a steep increase in the number of young couples opting for termination of pregnancy. They are mostly young working professionals in the first year of their marriage. I get at least three to four cases in a week.

Previously it used to be two in a month. Our first step is to counsel them and explain to them the disadvantages and the complications that can arise with an abortion. But it does not seem to be of much use.”

Dr Anuradha, consultant gynaecologist, Cloudnine, said, “Three years ago, a number of couples who came to us wanting to terminate a pregnancy would go ahead and have a baby after being counselled. Out of 10 cases only about two would prefer abortion. Now, out of 10 couples, eight opt for an abortion even after counselling.”

Anuradha says husbands are backing their wives to the hilt.

“Recently, a 23-year-old woman and her husband came to me. She was employed in the IT industry, while her husband was into hotel management. They were determined to have an abortion right from the start. No amount of counselling would do.

Even the husband did not want a child because he felt a baby would hurt his career.”

Although a pregnancy can be terminated within 20 weeks, in elective cases, doctors prefer to conduct an abortion within the first 10 weeks. Doctors say they also have couples who have been married for two or three years who opt for abortion.

Dr Anuradha said, “I’ve also had cases where one of the partners was sent abroad for an assignment. Rather than give up the chance of going abroad, they opt to terminate pregnancy. Many also feel that having a child would hamper their chances of getting a promotion or a better appraisal.

In many companies, an unstated rule is never to have a pregnancy in the first year of joining. A number of couples decide to terminate pregnancies because of this.”

Apart from the IT industry, paramedical staff are also among those who opt for abortion. “Many nurses and paramedic staff want an abortion because they land a job abroad. We even have cases of people working abroad returning to have an abortion here.

I had a case of an elderly woman who got pregnant soon after landing a job in Dubai. It was her second marriage and although she had conceived with much difficulty the couple decided to terminate.”

Dr R Vani, consultant gynaecologist, Sagar Hospitals said, “Most of the cases I get are people who have moved to the city from other states. They would have just started working and would want to achieve financial stability. In a month, we receive at least five to six cases and 95 per cent of them end up having abortions. Three years ago it used to be only two or three.”