The UK's largest abortion provider is facing severe criticism for its public guidance on terminating pregnancies based on foetal sex, amid concerns the practice is increasing within some communities.
Charity's stance clashes with official government position
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), which performs approximately 110,000 terminations annually, states on its website that "the law is silent on the matter" regarding sex-selective abortion. This directly contradicts official Department of Health guidance from 2014, which explicitly states: "Abortion on the grounds of gender alone is illegal."
BPAS, which operates 55 clinics nationwide and provides postal medication, derives £63 million of its £64 million annual income from NHS work. Its interpretation of the 1967 Abortion Act has sparked outrage among campaigners and politicians.
Evidence of gender imbalance and community pressure
Latest figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) estimate that around 400 sex-selective abortions of female foetuses may have occurred among women of Indian origin between 2017 and 2021.
While birth ratios for first and second children align with the national average of 105 boys per 100 girls, a significant shift occurs with third children. The ratio jumps to 113 boys for every 100 girls, indicating potential sex selection.
Campaigners highlight intense social pressure within some British-Indian families to bear sons. Dame Jasvinder Sanghera, known for her work against forced marriages, stated: "Without a shadow of a doubt, sex-selective abortions are going on." She cited the persistent practice of dowry, which can make daughters perceived as a financial burden.
Rani Bilkhu, founder of Jeena International, emphasised this is a lived reality: "Pressure is imposed by the in-laws and the husband... regardless of whether they are first-generation or second-generation immigrants, or educated or not."
Calls for legal clarity and protection for women
Senior Tory peer Baroness Eaton called the situation a "great tragedy" and urged Parliament to amend the law to include an explicit ban on sex-selective abortions, thereby protecting both unborn girls and women facing coercion.
Catherine Robinson from the pro-life group Right To Life branded BPAS's advice "irresponsible," arguing it normalises the practice and undermines women trying to resist family pressure. "Women trying to resist... may be met with the response that the UK's largest abortion provider says it is not illegal," she warned.
Critics accuse health professionals of sometimes turning a blind eye due to cultural sensitivities or fear of being labelled racist.
Conflicting statements and the road ahead
In response, a BPAS spokesperson, Katie Saxon, defended the charity's wording, noting that foetal sex is not mentioned in UK abortion law. She maintained that seeking an abortion purely on grounds of foetal sex is "vanishingly rare" in their experience, but acknowledged there are rare medical circumstances where sex may be a factor.
The DHSC reiterated the government's position in a strong statement: "Sex-selective abortion is illegal in England and Wales and will not be tolerated... It is a criminal offence for any practitioner to carry out an abortion for that reason alone." It urged anyone with evidence to report it to the police immediately.
The controversy exposes a stark rift between a major healthcare provider's interpretation of the law and the government's official stance, leaving women and medical professionals in a difficult grey area while campaigners demand decisive action.
