The issue came to light after people noticed the surge in demand for Non-Invasive Prenatal Tests (NIPT) in UK’s private sector clinics.

Additionally, ethics committee member Tom Shakespeare has linked the private sector tests to sex-selective abortions. 

“We strongly believe there should be a ban on [NIPT’s] use to find out the sex of the fetus, as this could lead to sex-selective abortions,” said Shakespeare, according to the Daily Mail.

And in a statement to BBC, Shakespeare said “the desire for sex-selection is a major driver of private-sector testing.”   Read More