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Definition of Gender Selection

In a recent unscientific survey conducted by About.com, 87 percent of women polled said they had a preference regarding the sex of their unborn child. Although there are many methods out there said to help ensure the sex of an unborn child, the majority of these techniques have proved to be nothing more than old wives' tales. So is there really such a thing as gender selection? What does it mean?

  1. History

    • Attempts to select the gender of a child have been documented since 330 BC, when the philosopher Aristotle claimed that if a man tied off his left testicle, the couple would conceive a boy. Astrological charts have also been used to time conception and influence gender. In the early 1980s, scientists discovered a way to separate male and female chromosomes from sperm, thus leading to the development of the first scientific method of gender selection.

    Types

    • In a typical sperm sample, about 50 percent of the the spermatozoa carry male chromosomes, while the remaining 50 percent carry female chromosomes. With the MicroSort method, however, the spermatozoa containing these chromosomes is divided up and, depending upon the parents' gender preference, more female or male chromosomes are inserted into the female's reproductive tract via in vitro fertilization. Currently, this method is only available in the United States.

    Other Types

    • In addition to the methods discussed earlier, many other types of gender selection have persisted throughout history. One of the most tragic methods of gender selection is infanticide, or murdering a child of the unwanted gender. Gender selection is also a common cause of child abandonment and giving up children of the unwanted gender for adoption.

    Success

    • Using data from parents who have used the MicroSort method, the Genetics and IVF Institute estimates the method to be about 81 to 92 percent effective. In addition, research done by The Genetics and IVF Institute reveals that the MicroSort method is typically more effective when the parents prefer a female child.

    Considerations

    • There are many ethical concerns regarding the use of MicroSort and similar gender selection methods. Many people believe that the gender of a child should be left to chance and, by determining the sex of an unborn child, society has begun "playing God." In addition, many parents who are unsuccessful with their gender selection techniques may consciously or unconsciously show their disappointment to their child, which can psychologically damage the child later in life.

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