Karabakh moves to ban sex-selective abortions

PanARMENIAN.Net - Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) National Assembly on Thursday, March 30 approved amendments to the law on human reproductive health and reproductive rights to ban sex-selective abortions.

According to lawmaker Aram Grigoryan, the move seeks “to enhance reproducibility through the use of assistive technologies, provide a better access to medical care and services for socially vulnerable groups, as well as prevent sex-selective abortions.”

According to Grigoryan, women aged between 18 and 35 years have the right to serve as surrogate mothers if no contraindications are found,Artsakhpress reports.

Grigoryan cited the international practice where women who have previously given birth to at least one child can serve as surrogates, which lessens the psychological impact on the surrogate when handing over the child to its biological parents. Corresponding amendments have been made which also raise the lower permissible age limit as a person is considered a minor under the age of 18.

(The story was amended to show that Karabakh has banned sex-selective abortions, and not "unjustified abortions.")