Why won't my sonographer tell me my baby's sex?
In short
- In India, no one can tell you your baby's sex before birth. This is the law.
- It covers every scan, every clinic, and any hint or code word too.
- The law is meant to stop sex-selective abortion. It's called the PCPNDT Act.
- Your sonographer can still explain what the scan does check.
What happens
- You attend your ultrasound as scheduled.
- Your sonographer checks and records everything the scan is meant to check — growth, anatomy, or whatever it's for.
- They will not state, hint at, or confirm your baby's sex, even if you ask.
Baby's sex is never revealed
It is illegal in India for anyone -- including your sonographer -- to reveal, or help you find out, the sex of your baby before birth. This is the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.
Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994. Read the Act (India Code).
The details: numbers and where they differ
What the law actually says
The PCPNDT Act's Section 6 prohibits any genetic counselling centre, laboratory, clinic or person from conducting or causing to be conducted a pre-natal diagnostic technique — including ultrasound — for the purpose of determining a foetus's sex, and prohibits anyone from causing or allowing sex selection before or after conception. The Act's full name and citation are given in Sources, below.
In the source's own words
6. Determination of sex prohibited.— On and from the commencement of this Act,— (a) no Genetic Counselling Centre or Genetic Laboratory or Genetic Clinic shall conduct or cause to be conducted in its Centre, Laboratory or Clinic, pre-natal diagnostic techniques including ultrasonography, for the purpose of determining the sex of a foetus; (b) no person shall conduct or cause to be conducted any pre-natal diagnostic techniques including ultrasonography for the purpose of determining the sex of a foetus. (c) no person shall, by whatever means, cause or allow to be caused selection of sex before or after conception.
Government of India (statute), Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 — Section 6. Quoted verbatim.
Discuss your results with your doctor: this page reports what these sources say, not advice for your situation.
Sources
- Government of India (statute), Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 — Section 6. Quoted verbatim. Government of India statute; primary legislative text (facts/law are not restricted). Accessed via the Indian Kanoon legal database because indiacode.nic.in's Act-specific page could not be reached from this build environment..
Sources checked 2026-09-26. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.