Time to Next Pregnancy after Sex Selective Abortion, Compared to Others, in Nepal

Diana Foster, University of California, San Francisco
Mahesh Puri, Center for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities (CREHPA), Nepal
Nadia Diamond-Smith, University of California, San Francisco

Nepal has a tradition of son preference and abortion became legal and accessible more recently than in other South Asian countries. Less is known about sex selective abortion in Nepal, and little is known more broadly about the impact of sex selective abortion on future behaviors and outcomes, such as birth spacing. We seek to understand the impact of a sex selective abortion on time to next pregnancy. Data was collected from 1,841 women in Nepal at the time that they were seeking abortion services between 2019-2020 and followed for 3 years. About 9% of women were seeking sex selective abortions. Time to next pregnancy was faster for those who sought sex selective abortion compared to those seeking abortion for other reasons. Women who receive sex selective abortions are pregnant again more quickly, suggesting ability to meet fertility desires.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

See extended abstract.