Sex selection
"[1] In many cultures, male offspring are desired in order to inherit property, carry on the family name and to provide support for parents in old age.
[9] In China, the one child policy has contributed to the sex imbalance, while the dowry system in India is responsible for a strong son preference.
Furthermore, in countries where there are discriminatory practices regarding women inheriting, owning, or controlling land by law, having a son ensures that the family will not have to worry about the legal aftermath if something were to happen to them.
[19] The Ericsson method separates male and female sperm by passing them through a column filled with blood protein, human serum albumin.
[24] A Geneticist then studies the chromosomes in the extracted cells for genetic defects and for a definite analysis of the embryo's sex.
[citation needed] The IVF/PGD technique is favored over the Ericsson method because of the stricter control of the sex of the offspring in the laboratory.
Since only embryos of the desired sex are transferred to the mother, IVF/PGD avoids the small likelihood present in the Ericsson method of an undesired sperm fertilizing the egg.
[36] USDA in conjunction with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, 'Beltsfield Sperm Sexing Technology' relies on the DNA difference between the X- and Y- chromosomes.
[37] Prior to flow cytometric sorting, semen is labeled with a fluorescent dye called Hoechst 33342 which binds to the DNA of each spermatozoon.
[citation needed] The application of these techniques to humans creates moral and ethical concerns in the opinion of some, while the advantages of sensible use of selected technologies is favored by others.
[citation needed] In contrast, in an interview study, sex-selection technology providers generally argued that sex selection is an expression of reproductive rights, was initiated and pursued by women, and was a sign of female empowerment that allowed couples to make well-informed family planning decisions, prevented occurrences of unintended pregnancy and abortion, and minimized intimate partner violence and/or child neglect.
[45] However, to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis and sex selection solely for non-medical reasons, the committee claims, is morally inappropriate.
[citation needed] In addition to the ethical concerns mentioned, issues of demographics arise in societies where social sex selection is common.
When combined with frequent social sex selection, this bias may produce a gender imbalance that has undesirable consequences.
This phenomenon has been observed in many nations in the Far East, such as India and China, where social sex selection has produced unnaturally high male/female ratios in the population.
In these nations, a lack of opportunity for many men to marry is believed to be producing increases in crime, demand for prostitution, mass emigration, and the selling of brides.
[51][52] China's 'one child family' policy is considered largely responsible for the substantial imbalance of the sex ratio.
[53] Chinese government reports show that the sex ratio for newborns is 118:100 (boys: girls), higher in rural areas such as Guangdong and Hainan (130:100) compared to the average of 104:100 in developed countries.
It is believed that the ratio would increase further to the point that, by 2020, men of marriageable age would be unable to find mates, resulting in large social problems.
In contrast, bioethicist Jacob Appel of New York University has argued that governments should pay couples to choose to have female children.
According to Professor Appel, "if female babies [were] worth their weight in rupees and yuan, economic and educational opportunities for girls would soon follow.
"[citation needed] In contrast, actual experience in Western cultures provides no evidence for any degree of gender imbalance from technologies which have long been available and legal – such as selective abortion or preimplantation embryo testing.
Furthermore, in countries where such demographic issues exist because of strong gender preferences in a segment of the population, regulatory and legal control of, without denial of access to, sperm sorting technology can be utilized to provide individuals with choices while ensuring that equal numbers of boys and girls are produced for population demographic equality.
[60] Census data from India show an imbalance in sex ratios among children in the early 20th century, such disparities almost always reflect a preference for sons.
[36] USDA in conjunction with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, 'Beltsfield Sperm Sexing Technology' relies on the DNA difference between the X- and Y- chromosomes.
[37] Prior to flow cytometric sorting, semen is labeled with a fluorescent dye called Hoechst 33342 which binds to the DNA of each spermatozoon.
Recently, a study published in 2006 indicated that mothers with toxoplasmosis have a significantly higher sex ratio of boys to girls.
There is fertility tourism from the United Kingdom,[63] Australia[64] and Canada[65] to the United States for sex selection, because preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD, a potential expansion of IVF), which can be used for sex selection, is prohibited in the UK, Australia and Canada, except when it is used to screen for genetic diseases, while the laws in the US are more relaxed in this subject.
[65] In 1994, the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act banned prenatal sex determination, and was strengthened by an amendment in 2003.
[68][69][70] However, these laws have generally failed to be effective in rural areas and, despite education efforts, sex-selective abortion continues to be practiced in certain small parts of India.
