Woman held in Shenzhen allegedly with blood of pregnant women set for Hong Kong gender tests
Case highlights practice – illegal in the mainland – of many expectant Chinese mothers transporting blood to test in Hong Kong using 'underground' medical services agencies
Customs officials in Shenzhen detained a woman last Thursday who was allegedly found with 96 blood samples from expectant mothers inside her bag, which were being brought to Hong Kong to test the sex of their child.
The case highlights the common practice – illegal throughout the mainland – of prenatal gender tests being carried out on blood for non-medical purposes here in Hong Kong, after it has been transported from the mainland.
One mainland newspaper has reported that blood samples from more than 10,000 expectant mothers are brought to Hong Kong for testing each month.
Our nurse can even come to your home today and draw only a few drops of the mother’s blood, and you can find out tomorrow whether you are having a boy or a girl
Although such tests are against the law on the mainland, it is easy for expectant mainland mothers to find an “underground” medical services agency in Shenzhen that will help them send blood samples to Hong Kong for testing.
“Our nurse can even come to your home today and draw only a few drops of the mother’s blood, and you can find out tomorrow whether you are having a boy or a girl,” a male employee at Hong Kong Hengan, a medical services agency in Shenzhen, told a South China Morning Post reporter today.
The agency said a couple could find out the sex of a seven-week foetus for only 4,000 yuan (about HK$5,030).
“The cost includes drawing blood, sending the sample to Hong Kong’s registered medical centre and testing the sex of the foetus,” the man said.
“You don’t need to worry any private information being leaked. We simply give you a copy of the type-B ultrasonic result.”