What Is XYY Syndrome? Chinese Woman Ends Pregnancy After Learning of High Risk for This Condition Linked to Criminal Tendencie

In a heartbreaking decision, a Chinese woman has chosen to abort her unborn son after receiving alarming misinformation on social media. The woman, known as Jiujiu from Sichuan Province, was told her baby might have XYY syndrome, a genetic condition often incorrectly linked to violent behavior.

Jiujiu shared her prenatal examination report on Douyin, revealing that her baby had a high chance of XYY syndrome. This genetic disorder, which involves an extra Y chromosome, is often misunderstood. It is only present in males and is sometimes mistakenly associated with criminal tendencies.

Dr. Qi Qianrong, an embryologist at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, clarified that XYY syndrome is relatively common, occurring in about one in 1,000 births. He emphasized that individuals with this condition often lead normal lives and that it is not necessarily linked to violent behavior.

On July 18, Jiujiu decided to terminate her pregnancy after consulting with her family and doctors. She expressed her pain and urged others not to stigmatize XYY syndrome. Dr. Qi echoed this sentiment, highlighting that while some individuals with XYY syndrome have committed crimes, it is not accurate to generalize this trait to all affected individuals. He stressed that a person’s character is influenced by many factors beyond genetics.