Pros And Cons Of Sex Selection

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Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis/screening and sex selection
There is a lot of controversy regarding the use of technologies that allow sex selection. Modern science allows parents to choose the sex of their future child. Although this could be an effective way to determine genetic disorders, I do not support screening to be used solely for sex selection as this can lead to social inequality and gender bias.
Two of the most popular technologies used today for sex selection are, in vitro fertilization (IVF) and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) (Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2015). IVF involves combining the egg cells and the sperm cells outside the uterus. Once fertilized, the egg is then implanted back into the women’s uterus or stored for future use.
PGD has proven effective in patients who are of advanced age, have had recurrent miscarriages or repeated IVF failure and are either carriers of chromosomal diseases or have genetic history of such. PGD is used with an IVF to identify chromosomal mutations and genetic defects in embryos, where a cell from IVF is removed for genetic testing before implanting it into the uterus. This can either be performed as polar body biopsy, …show more content…

Both of these methods can help determine and eliminate genetic disorders, as certain conditions can be screened out using these technologies. As discussed in Meseguer et al., more than 300 diseases have been related to sexual chromosomes till date. Case studies also argue the important role of these methods in family balancing for varied family dynamics who aim to compensate their family with a representation of the other sex (Meseguer et al., 2002). Critics have also mentioned that with an increase in demand, these methods could become more economical and widely available, including to couples who may need it due to medical

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