Assessment of Sex Ratio (0-6 yrs.) &

Perceptions on PCPNDT

Akhilesh Bhargava

Director-SIHFW, Jaipur

Sex Ratio Country Sex RatioIndia 933

China 944

USA 1029

Indonesia 1004

Brazil 1025

Pakistan 938

Bangladesh 951

Japan 1041

Russian Fed. 1140

Source:World Pop. Prospects, mid year estimates, 1998

Sex Ratio: IndiaYear No. of Females1901 972

1911 9641921 955

1931 9501941 945

1951 9461961 941

1971 9301981 934

1991 9272001 933

Sex Ratio: India (1901-2001)

Child Sex Ratio(0-6), 2001, Rajasthan

Sex Ratio (Females per 1000 males)

Total Population Child population in the age group 0-6

Population aged 7 and above

1991 2001 1991 2001 1991 2001

India 927 933 945 927 923 935

Rajasthan 910 922 916 909 908 925

Study on Sex Ratio assessment

& Awareness on PCPNDT Act

Conducted by:

SIHFW, Jaipur

Sample size:

Respondents

Respondents:2850

• Pvt. clinics : 26• District level : 130• Health. Workers: 226

• ANM : 40• ASHA : 58• AWW : 78 • LHV : 7

• Med. Officers : 78• Govt. : 52• Private : 26

• PRI : 43

Observations

• District Authorities• Collector • SP• RCHO• CMO• PMO• BDO• BPM

Areas with low sex Ratio

• 26.3% unaware• 26 % said ratio has increased• 47.4 % affirmed increase

Reasons: Increase/ Decrease

Increase• Preference for Boys :68%

Decrease• Govt. schemes for Girls :33%

Knowledge of penalty on misuse of technique in PCPNDT Act

N=130

• Penalty • For Providers :74 -88 %• For Users :60-66 %

Misuse : Whose Responsibility

60 % of Dist. Authorities hold

• Medical Officers Pregnant woman +• Motivator, and • Husband / R elative

Responsible for Misuse of Technique

Reasons for using USG

Indications:• Detection of Cong. Anomalies :82%• H/o Multiple Abortions :53%

Contraindications:• Sex Determination :80%

Observations

Health Workers(N-183)• LHV• ANM• ASHA• AWW

• Understanding of referral Criteria: 65-87%• Bleeding• Delay in Delivery• Placenta expulsion delayed

• Enquiry by Pregnant Woman on • Sex determination centre

» ANM :87%» ASHA :100%» LHV :67%

• Response to query • Illegal

» ANM :86%» ASHA :87%» AWW :87%

• Awareness on Declining Sex Ratio: 81%• ANM :90%• ASHA :75%• PRI :91%

• Responsibility • Society :50%• Woman :28%; 5-10% accuse Doctors

• Reasons:• Extension :96%• Economic : 80%• Religious :63%

Consequences of declining Sex Ratio:Health workers feel

• Gender Imbalance : 96%• Gender violence/ Crime : 82%

Reasons for female feticide

• Male :85• Dowry :70%• Misuse of technique:60-80%

Awareness of Act

• Act-80% Aware (AWW-65%)• Appropriate Authority- reasonable understanding • Undergoing sex determination is punishable

• ANM- :95%• ASHA :93%• AWW :93%• LHV :100%• PRI :97%

A healthy Reflection of awareness

• Community perception

Distribution of Respondents by Sex

Age, sex and urban: Rural differential

% of 0-6yr. Children in area2850 Houses, M-2432, F-2276, SR-935

Preference of pregnancy outcome

USG & Pregnancy

• Undergone USG :20.1% • Who asked :Doctor (53.2%)• Where :Govt. facility (52 %)

:Private (20%)• Why

• Abnormality :2.6 %• Fetal position :15.6 %• Age 35+ : 6.5 %• Sex Determination : 26 %

Sex and age of Urban/ Rural respondents

Societal perceptions and some healthy observations-male respondents

Societal perceptions and some healthy observations-Female respondents

Why are preferred

Desire to have Male child and efforts made

Some more Observations

• Rural /Urban, Male/ Female : • Aware of Sex Detection – Illegal (R -81,U-

90%)• Aware of PCPNDT - (R-50, U-60%)

• USG after 2/3 Girls • Rural - Male/female 15%• Urban – Male-20% /Female-18.07%

• Gender imbalance leads to Sexual crimes• M/F, R/U 66-74%

Medical Officers on PCPNDT

• Awareness 100%• Awareness of A/A 85%• Awareness on Penalty 84-90%• Awareness on Committee

• Government 60%• Private 85%

• Reasons for decreasing Sex ratio • Government Society 69%

Doctors 3.8%

• Private Society 54%

Doctors 3.8%

PCPNDT Act : Some Punctuations

• Availability of Act at the Center • Government 33%• Private 89%

• Display• Government 57.7% • Private 69.2%

• Filling of F Form • Government –PW 7.7%• Private –PW 92.3%

• Record (2 Yrs )• Government 3.8%• Private 34.5%