Olivia Barton's

Due to recent (and amazing) technological innovations, scientists can effectively choose a gender for an embryo via in vitro fertilization in conjunction with preimplantation genetic diagnosis. However, changing the building blocks of life causes controversy due to ethical and moral belief systems of many people. Some see elective gender selection as a means of establishing and creating a traditional and culturally acceptable family, or as a way to discriminate against an entire gender. Some people also see sexual selection as a means produce healthy babies for couples who are unfortunately predisposed to genetic abnormalities.

If parents were to choose the sex of their child it could stem from discriminatory thoughts and beliefs due to tradition and cultural values. If parents do not want a certain gender, then there can be disastrous effects from the parent’s lack of comprehensive care during the pregnancy- such as taking prenatal vitamins, eating healthily, or even seeking sex-selective abortions. In a study done on Indian families, researchers found that mothers that are pregnant with sons were more likely to get vaccinations and were over all more cautious with their pregnancy, while mothers pregnant with daughters were more likely to end the pregnancy or not take proper care of the fetus during the pregnancy (Bharadwaj and Lakdawala, 2013). With the advent of technological advances there seems to be predominance for wanting males causing a major gender discrepancy (Bharadwaj and Lakdawala, 2013).

This study does bring up some ethical points, the fact that discrimination starts in the womb, even with a “blank slate” women are seen as an inferior sex. Even when a fetus cannot even fill their lungs with air and survive on their own they are put down because of anatomical structures. Therefore, with families are choosing what sex they want to have whether it be by means of abortion, genetic testing, or even just caring more about a certain pregnancy- is that completely ethical? Or is the fact that later on in life this gender will bring most to the family and that is a reason to prefer and select a sex.

This study did have some limitations as in the data has been collected from many parts of India thus taking information from many sub-cultures and areas that have different views on male dominance in families and different socioeconomics statues can skew data. Furthermore, the fact that many couples might have reported being more likely to care for their son because that is what is predominantly socially expectable when in reality they did not discriminate based on gender. Furthermore, many of the data has been from decades ago, which can unintentionally skew data as well.

Moreover, in some countries due to cultural values and traditions parents desire having a male child then having a female child. Due to parental son preference, prenatal sexual selection has been common in India. According to a study that conducted by Hu and Shlosser (2012) they found that through looking at about half a million households that nutrition levels of young girl has risen while sex selection was present. While the mortality rates and malnutrition rates of young girls in the parts of India that do not use sex selection were high (Hu & Shlosser, 2012). This longitudinal study exhorts that fact that families that choose to go through a sex selection process are likely to have the certain gender they want and are more likely to take care of that child (Hu & Shlosser, 2012). This is true with females as well, if a family choses to have a female baby it is because they are either financially capable or do not have a biased stance on gender (Hu & Shlosser, 2012). However, even thought the nutrition rates are high there are also high mortality rates for females (Hu & Shlosser, 2012). This implies that while the female babies that do make it to childhood are more likely to be taken care of but, unfortunately, most female pregnancies do not carry to term (Hu & Shlosser, 2012). Therefore, sex selection used for the basis of gender discrimination and cultural values causes a mass killing of female babies, however it does stem from society. That needs to change before this problem of sex selection can be addressed. This study did have limitations as well, that fact that the study did not have a firm number or grasp on how many sex selective abortions, thus distorted mortality figures.

Furthermore, sex selection and the use of preimplantaion genetic diagnosis as a means to select the sex is considered to be a private matter and a way to circumvent the passage of hereditary diseases. In a study that interviewed eighteen married couples about their moral reasoning behind prenatal sex selection, the researchers found that their motives for pursuing sex selection were diverse and included satisfying self-interest as well as family balancing (Sharp, McGowan, Verma, Landy, McAdoo, Carson, Simpson & McCullough, 2010). Many of the couples saw gender selection as a means to control what they wanted their family to look like in a relatively effective and safe way (Sharp et al., 2010). Furthermore, many couples compared their choice of gender selection to abortion (Sharp et al., 2010)- implying the “the right to privacy” that was established by Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade are to be applied to sex selection. This study did have limitations including the small sample size, as well as the fact that the couples might have answered the surveys and questions differently to ensure that the institution would still continue onward with the actual sex-selection process (however, only two couples actually proceed with the actual proceeded with the in-vitro fertilization and preimaplation genetic diagnosis process).

Furthermore, with the ability to adjust sex comes the ability to bypass diseases. In a study looking at couples trying to reproduce with hereditary forms of breast cancers and ovarian cancers (Derks-Smeet, de Die-Smulders, Mackens, van Golde, Paulussen, Dreesen, & Verpoest, 2014). The researchers found that through the preimplantion genetic diagnosis and in vitro fertilization, most children of seventy expecting couples were carried to full term and born without a genetic predisposition the breast or ovarian cancers (Derks-Smeet et al., 2014). Due to the fact that this was a clinical trial and that these couple and their children have not had enough time to see what the long-term effect are and if they embryos (now children) are truly genetically clean. Another limitation was that the sample was relatively small and unrepresentative. However, this does give hope to parents who thought that they could never reproduce because of health issues related to gender- they can know with modern technology (hopefully) create children.

In my opinion, if a couple decides to have children and they have hereditary diseases that are present in specific genders then testing or choosing the gender of the baby could be ethically tolerated. Solely based on the fact that the parents are choosing to have a child that is healthy and not at risk for certain conditions, thus giving the child the best shot at survival. However, if the choice is based on the fact that parents want to have a “perfect” nuclear family then I do not condone sexual assignment. Parents are altering nature based on what society has portrayed a family to be. Moreover, the only time nature and genetics should be altered are when a life can be saved not when a parent’s image can be created and brought into fruition.

References
Bharadwaj, P., & Lakdawala, L. K. (2013). Discrimination Begins in the Womb. Journal
Of Human Resources, 48(1), 71.

Derks-Smeets, I. P., de Die-Smulders, C. M., Mackens, S., van Golde, R., Paulussen, A.
D., Dreesen, J., & … Verpoest, W. M. (2014). Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and reproduction: an observational study on the suitability of preimplantation genetic diagnosis for both asymptomatic carriers and breast cancer survivors. Breast Cancer Research And Treatment, 145(3), 673-681. doi:10.1007/s10549-014-2951-5

Hu, L., & Schlosser, A. (2012). Trends in Prenatal Sex Selection and Girls’ Nutritional
Status in India. Cesifo Economic Studies, 58(2), 348-372.

Sharp, R. R., McGowan, M. L., Verma, J. A., Landy, D. C., McAdoo, S., Carson, S. A.,& McCullough, L. B. (2010). Moral attitudes and beliefs among couples pursuing PGD for sex selection. Reproductive Biomedicine Online (Reproductive Healthcare Limited), 21(7), 838-847. doi:10.1016/j.rbmo.2010.09.009