Pre-natal Tests on Net a Threat

New Delhi: The advent of Internet has emerged as a new threat as overseas agencies are posting advertisements for sex determination services and equipment that can be used at home, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has said.

Ramadoss informed the Rajya Sabha of the websites offering such services - www.4-gender-selection.com, www.pregnancystore.com and others which offer sex determination kits called the 'baby Gender Mentor Home DNA Test Kit'.

These sites help the customer determine the sex of the foetus through DNA analysis at home.

The house was also told Friday that gender testing kits from the US and Canada were available in certain markets in Punjab for Rs.15-20,000. It was also found that some genetic centres were importing kits online in response to advertisements.

The matter was referred to the Ministry of Communications and IT in order to block the offending websites.

He was told by the ministry that blocking the websites was not totally successful as "they could re-emerge and be available for the viewers again under a new nomenclature and in a new avatar," Ramadoss said.

The issue has...