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Gender Selection: The Debate

The idea and practice of gender selection has become increasingly popular in recent years and with recent advances in technology. Currently three methods of gender selection are available, each one varies in degree of technology, precision, and of course cost. Sperm sorting by way of centrifuge and staining technology are two options. The third method, PGD, is the most expensive and debatable.

PGD was originally used as a technique to identify embryos that showed signs of genetic disorder only, and not for gender selection. The purpose was to minimize the chance that couples with a history of genetic disorder would have a child with genetic or chromosomal abnormalities. PGD is still used for this purpose with little debate, however the ethical debate arises when the procedure is sought out only for the purpose of gender selection.

The reason for concern is the issues that occur resulting from discriminating against one gender over the other. In most cases, couples seeking this procedure do so to avoid having female babies. Unwarranted gender selection raises concerns of creating and perpetuating a gender discriminatory society. Supporters state that it would only increase the value of women due to more competition among men. Opposers do so on the basis that it would not create value for women but the exact opposite. This type of “free-will” creates an unnatural imbalance and is a breeding ground for larger issues.

From and ethical and religious standpoint, those who seek this treatment are accused of trying to "play God" and reducing the value of children to marketable commodities. After choosing the gender, you don't have to stop there, you can choose eye and hair color also, in essence you can design your own baby. Another ethical issue with PGD is what to do with the remaining embryos that do not “make the cut.” For those who believe that life has actually started at this stage, it becomes an issue of throwing away or aborting a life.

To avoid falling into the ethical trap, many clinics only perform PGD for health precautions, which includes gender selection for the purpose of avoiding sex-related diorders. However, with increasing demand, more and more facilities are offering gender selection regardless of reason. Couples who have elected gender selection should not be singled out as being unethical because often times the decision is merely based on personal preference or societal factors without considering the ethical concerns involved. For those suffering from infertility, the issue is less likely to occur, as value is placed on being able to conceive a child whether male or female.

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