The short explanation
No. In India it is illegal for any doctor, sonologist or scan centre to tell parents the sex of the baby, under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, often called the PCPNDT Act. This applies to government and private centres alike, and scan centres display notices saying so. The law exists because sex determination has been used to end pregnancies of girls, which led to a severe imbalance in the number of girls and boys. Scans in pregnancy are done to check the baby's development and your health. A good scan centre will refuse to reveal the sex, however politely you ask.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Asking for or arranging sex determination is also an offence for the family, not only the doctor.
- If you are being pressured by family about the baby's sex, it can be very stressful. You can ask your doctor to explain the law to your family directly.
- If pressure turns into threats, harm or being forced to end a pregnancy, that is abuse; you can seek help from the women's helpline 181 or call 112 in an emergency.
- Your antenatal care does not depend on the baby's sex.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot give legal advice for your situation. A lawyer or the district appropriate authority under the PCPNDT Act can explain the law in detail.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Can you explain to my family why the sex of the baby cannot be told?
- What will my scans be checking instead?
- Is there a counsellor I can talk to about family pressure?
- Who can I contact if I feel unsafe at home?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 if you are in danger at home, are being forced to end a pregnancy, or have heavy bleeding or severe belly pain.
Book an appointment soon
- See your doctor or a counsellor within a few days if family pressure is causing you distress.
Raise it at a routine appointment
- Keep attending your routine antenatal scans and visits.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Prenatal care MedlinePlus (NIH)
- Pregnancy MedlinePlus (NIH)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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