Yerevan Records 15,606 Births in 2023; Mayor Calls for End to Sex-Selective Abortions
Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, welcomed 15,606 newborns in 2023, comprising 8,069 boys and 7,837 girls. This information sparked concern about the practice of sex-related selective abortions, which Mayor Tigran Avinyan believes should belong to the past.
According to Davit Karapetyan, the acting head of Yerevan's Health Department, December alone witnessed 1,954 births in the city, with 988 boys and 856 girls. Karapetyan also noted a 7.9% natural growth in the city's population throughout the year.
Mayor Avinyan expressed concern about a slightly higher number of boys being born compared to girls, suggesting that a more balanced gender ratio would be healthier. He emphasized the importance of changing the societal mindset around selective abortions, urging a shift in attitudes toward birth and gender.
Avinyan stressed that everyone, regardless of gender, deserves the right to life. He firmly stated that gender-based abortions are against nature and should not be practiced.
Recognizing a significant gap in education on this issue, Avinyan called for targeted efforts to work with families and proposed specific programs to address these concerns.
Armenia has been experiencing a decline in birth rates since the 1990s, with a 45% decrease in births over the last three decades, according to data from the National Institute of Health. Between 2019 and 2021, there were approximately 108,000 births and around 33,000 abortions, with only 20% of these procedures being for health-related reasons.
Armenian law allows abortions in the early stages of pregnancy based on a woman's application or a doctor's assessment. Abortions between 12 to 22 weeks are permitted only for medical or social reasons, not including gender-based terminations.
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