The sex ratio at birth (SRB) started to rise in Asian countries like China, Korea and India in the late 1970s when new technologies like ultrasound and amniocentesis allowed parents to know the sex of the fetus. In Vietnam, the increase of the SRB appeared in the late 20th century when the results of the 1999 Census showed that 107 boys per 100 girls were born. This problem became more urgent when SRB increased to 113.8 in 2013 and 112.2 in 2014.

Vietnam anticipated the problem by introducing legal regulations prohibiting sex selection with the 2003 Population Ordinance. The 10-year evaluation of the Population Ordinance shows that many people do not even know about the prohibition of sex selection in this legal document. It was not until 2013 that provisions for administrative sanctions of fetal sex selection were issued. Nonetheless, the disclosure of the fetus' sex when performing ultrasound services at health care facilities is still popular and widely practiced. Currently, Vietnam is developing a 2016 Population Law that looks to close existing policy gaps and potentially restrict access to second trimester abortions. This presentation will highlight "gaps" in policy implementation and the limited effectiveness of legal regulations.

Disciplinary field: Political Demography