Fifth in survey back gender selection abortion

Just over a fifth of people who took part in a Government of Jersey survey think abortions should be permitted on the island for gender selection purposes.

The government is updating the island's 1997 terminations law and from its consultation on changes 597 responses were analysed.

Of those who responded 82% were women, 67% were aged 25 to 54 and 47% said they had personal experience of termination.

Just over a fifth of respondents said they supported the intentional aborting of a foetus of a certain gender, while others called for termination on these grounds to be illegal.

A number of respondents voiced concern that restricting on this ground would "preclude a woman’s ability to access termination on request", the report said.

It was also questioned how it could be reliably enforced "given a woman could simply cite a different reason for termination".

About three quarters of the respondents said it should be possible to request an abortion in Jersey without having to give a reason.

Nearly all respondents said termination should be available where there was risk to the life of the woman.

The island's government said the responses would help inform proposed changes to Jersey's abortion law, on which States members are expected to vote before the end of this year.

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