Couples can now opt to attempt sex selection "family balancing" for their offspring. Controlling the sex of a future baby could be for the reason of carrying on a family name, for inheritance reasons or to simply enjoy the option to choose a preferred sex to balance the family. If a couple has had the pleasure of conceiving naturally all boys or all girls, using a technology method instead of a surprise to select a baby may be beneficial, especially if there is a desire to have another child of the opposite sex.
How Sex Selection Is Performed
Pre-implantation methods are the most accurate way of pre-selecting the sex for a future baby. These techniques are done in the laboratory rather than in a natural way. The following are pre-implantation methods:
Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)
This sex selection technique is highly effective, with a success rate of almost 100 percent. Although this method is accurate, it is expensive because it uses only the invasive in vitro fertilization method (IVF), which is the assisted reproduction of placing a woman's egg cells and fertilizing them with a man's sperm outside of the womb. Biopsies of the embryos and genetic testing for the X or Y chromosomes are performed beforehand, to ensure accuracy. IVF procedures do not always create a pregnancy, but if it is successful the sex of choice can be pre-determined with the PGD method.
Pre-Implantation Genetic Haplotyping (PGH)
Pre-implantation Genetic Haplotyping is an extended method of testing for which a single cell from an IVF treatment is removed from the embryo, to test for genetic diseases. This method is beneficial especially for certain illnesses affecting only a particular gender. In the situation where a mother is a carrier, a gender could be selected beforehand to assure that the child will not be born with the specific disease.
Microsort Gender Selection
The Microsort process separates the male and female sperm and studies the differences in the DNA to select the sex of the baby. The choice of gender of sperm is injected into the mother. The accuracy is not as good with this method as the PGD method, because it is difficult to completely separate the sperm with no chance for error.
Ericsson Albumin Method
The Ericsson method has been used since the 1970s, but still has not been proven to be effective, with as little as a 50 percent chance of success. The sperm is filtered through albumin (protein that is soluble in water) followed by insemination. If the gender of choice is a girl, the most commonly used fertility medication Clomid is used, as studies show that this drug can increase the chances for a female offspring.
Flow Cytometry
This sex selection technique uses fluorescent dye to highlight sperm to choose the gender of a future child. The X and Y sperms are then separated with the use of a laser machine. The success rate for this type of technique is normally about 60 to 70 percent, and may be less costly than other methods for sex selection.
