Selective abortion/why do Albanians want more boys than girls?

 A newborn baby's leg being rubbed by a woman's hand

 In 2023 there are still families who choose to have abortions based on gender. Maksim Gjoni, obstetrician-gynecologist, said in an interview for Euronews Albania that selective abortion remains a major problem in Albania.

"Selective abortion is not only part of our society. It used to be a social reaction to war, but this mentality remained long and late as society's inertia. In our country, it is an even bigger problem. The requirement to have a son also exists in other countries, but the possibility to determine the sex of children is possible through in-vitro fertilization. The figures are alarming in Albania, the female-male ratio for the first birth is 1-1 and for the second, but it increases in the fourth birth, which leads to more terminations of pregnancy", said the doctor.

He advised investing more in the 30-35 age group who are looking for a male baby so that they do not have to make this decision.

"For years there has been a desire for baby boys, even though the diagnosis of gender at the beginning of pregnancy has been doubtful, many families respected even a doubt for a girl to terminate the pregnancy. If the couples looking for male descendants are in the age group of 30-35 years, more should be invested in this age group so that they do not make this decision", said the doctor.