Gender selection via IVF still prohibited in Australia
A study in Australia has found that as many as 50% of Australian women struggling with infertility and undergoing IVF treatment would want to be able to choose their baby’s gender. This number seems really high to me and it is possible that because it is not an option available to Australian women, they can think that this might be something they would want. It is anybody’s guess what the numbers would be if they could actually choose their offspring’s gender.
According to the report, most women would choose to have a girl while their male partners would want a boy. Many issues come up for me when I think about having this kind of choice. First of all, there is the possible conflict between partners as to what they would eventually choose. Secondly, it is good to embrace the randomness and surprise. When I was first pregnant, I did want a daughter and she was born in 2005. When I was pregnant with twins a couple of years later, of the combinations possible, two boys might have been my last choice (if I allowed myself to think about what combination I wanted). I was mostly preoccupied with doing my best to stay fit and healthy and to be able to deliver healthy twins. When my twin sons arrived I was thrilled and they are growing up to be two amazing individuals.
I am reminded of something that happens to me in restaurants once in a while. Everyone places their order and you wish you had ordered something different when your meal arrives. Maybe my husband or friend ordered something that looks and smells awesome. If we can’t pick a meal we are satisfied with, how can we pick the gender of our child? Something else that occurs to me is the reason why we would choose one gender over another. You could argue that a certain choice might suit you now but in five or ten years, situations and people change.
There are two suggested reasons for gender selection – medical and elective. PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis) is used primarily in the U.S. for the purpose of reducing birth defects and abnormalities, but opponents fear that there is nothing stopping people from using PGD for more eugenic-based purposes, where a society would discriminate against ‘non-selected’ individuals. It is suggested that “most commonly, the patients are motivated by the desire…..to have a mix of girls and boys, or ‘family balancing’.” You could argue that your choice might suit you now but maybe not later. A certain combination might in vogue now but in five or ten years, situations and people change.
There are ethical issues for me, sexual discrimination being one of them. I can’t help but think of China and the number of abandoned baby girls there. Although PGD has been reported to be very close to 100% accurate, there may be psychological implications for both the parents and child if the procedure does not produce a child of the desired sex (more relevant when sperm sorting/enhancing techniques are used). Furthermore, problems may also arise if the gender-related expectations of the parents are not fulfilled by the child. It is always possible that any child would fail to fulfill particular parental expectations. Acceptance and tolerance as individuals, parents and society members is a better solution.
I am very thankful that we didn’t have to choose and were able to embrace life’s randomness and destiny.