MALAWI: Couples Can Determine Sex of Baby – UNFPA official
Nyasa Times reported on 18 August that a United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) official says it is possible for couples who have sex preferences to determine whether to have a baby boy or baby girl. Thomas Munthali, UNFPA Programmes Manager for Population and Development, was speaking in Dedza during a public lecture on population and development which was attended by chiefs and district executive committee (DEC) members.
During the lecture, one of the participants identified sex preference as one of the factors that is contributing to rapid population growth. The participant said some families who give birth to children of a same sex continue bearing children with the hope of bearing a child of a different sex. “Couples who have sex preferences should seek medical guidance. There are certain methods that can be followed to increase the probability of having a male child or a female one. However, the methods are not a guarantee,” he said.
Munthali advised that couples should just decide on the number of children to have instead of focusing on their sex. He however, urged the participants to encourage girl's education saying women who went to school cannot be easily manipulated by their husbands to have more children than they can afford. Read in English: Nyasa Times