TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Akbulut-Yuksel, Mevlude
AU  - Rosenblum, Daniel
        TI  - The Indian Ultrasound Paradox
        PY  - 2012/Jan/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 6273
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/publications/dp6273
        AB  - The liberalization of the Indian economy in the 1990s made prenatal ultrasound technology affordable and available to a large fraction of the population. As a result, ultrasound use amongst pregnant women rose dramatically in many parts of India. This paper provides evidence on the consequences of the expansion of prenatal ultrasound use on sex-selection. We exploit state-by-cohort variation in ultrasound use in India as a unique quasi-experiment. We find that sex-selective abortion of female fetuses is rising in states with a slow expansion of ultrasound relative to those states with a rapid expansion of ultrasound. Thus, our findings suggest that the recent rapid spread of ultrasound is not causing higher rates of sex-selection in India.
        KW  - ultrasound
KW  - sex-selective abortion
KW  - India
        ER  -