ABSTRACT

This selection shows how gender differences in health can begin even before birth, in this case through female-selective abortion (FSA). At issue is a cultural system that affects females only, by way of both gender beliefs (male children are valued more than female children) and biological sex (only females get pregnant and bear the health consequences). In addition to clarifying the different impacts of sex and gender on health (see selection 49), the selection demonstrates the importance of contextualizing quantitative data with sociocultural and politico-economic analysis.