Gender Selection?

Question

Is it just me.... Or the human being have reached already the point where we think we can manage ours and others destiny?...
I mean selecting between "boy" or "girl", as, what we want our baby to be, is unselecting as well some other options, that used to be destiny... What you think?... (and don´t take wrong, I am amazed as well of how far the technology advances have get)
I have 2 beautiful daughters, that just came in the perfect moment and to be...
And nothing makes me more happy than my princesses...
My wife and I, we decided to wait for knowing the babies sex till the moment of birth and that was exiting!!!...

Answer 1

There is absolutely nothing wrong with gender selection, or other genetic modification of your children. Nor is it the business of Congress, the church, or other uninvolved third parties to interfere. Whether to make use of these advances is, and should be, a strictly personal choice between the parents and their doctors.

Gender selection is actually not too uncommon. Most first-time parents who use it in the US choose girls slightly more often than boys. Most parents using it for their second child, use it to choose the opposite of whatever gender their first kid was, in order to "balance out" their family.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is the practice of analyzing the genetic code of a zygote to look for possible genetic defects that could cause harm to the future child. If found, either the zygote could be rejected in favor of a healthy one, or the defect could be corrected through genetic engineering.

In the 1980's when in-vitro fertilization came into use, it was widely decried by certain segments of our society as "playing god." Now, it is widely accepted by society and used by parents who otherwise could not conceive naturally. I believe it is only a matter of time before gender selection and PGD are also almost universally accepted.

The argument against "playing god" is, when you look at it, rather silly. First, such a declaration is an assumption by some people that the rest of society shares their theological viewpoint. Such an assumption is completely wrong.

Second, there is really no limit as to what could be called "playing god"--any "unnatural" act is open to the charge. Flying in an airplane. ("If god had meant for man to fly he would've given us wings.") Giving birth by C-section. Radios and TV. (Radios were actually decried as the "work of the devil" at first by those who couldn't understand how they seemed to work like magic.) Virtually any medical procedure, from removing an inflamed appendix to getting vaccinated. Indeed, some religious sects still regard even blood transfusions as somehow unholy and "against god's will."

There is a very, very good book on this subject called "Liberation Biology" by Ronald Bailey. (See link below.) In it, he explores both the technological and ethical implications of all sorts of biotechnology from genetic engineering of crops to genetic healing of people, from stem cell research to elimination of genetic diseases. Far from creating a "Brave New World" of obedient Aryan clones, biotechnology (of which gender selection is one of the early applications, along with IVF) promises a world of healthy, diverse people free of the suffering and tragedy caused by following the Luddites' version of "god's will" today.

You're right, the technology advances are pretty amazing. But even now, there are advances in the pipeline that will blow away today's advances. Vaccines against cancer, mitochondrial replacement to slow down aging, super-nutritious crops that can be grown in arid regions, the possible elimination of most genetic diseases, stronger immune systems, more efficient metabolism to eliminate obesity, and more. Your daughters will be growing up in one helluva better world than you and I did, and their children will be even better off, living both longer and healthier lives.

Answer 2

Gender selection of children is a controversial topic, particularly in terms of genetic therapy and the ethics of picking the sex of your child. While there certainly have been advances in the field of genetics, there are actually some natural and completely ethical things that you can do that will increase the likelihood of selecting a gender for your child.

Check this video for more info - http://tinyurl.com/PlanMyBabyGen

While no method is 100% accurate, if you are determined to have a boy or a girl, there are a few things that can be done to significantly increase your chances of conceiving the gender of your choice. Remember, the most important thing is to have a healthy baby, regardless of their gender. But if you do want to try to pick the gender of your child, it is possible. Here's what you need to know.
Differences in Sperm
The sperm that carry the Y chromosome are the "boy" sperms, while the ones that carry the X chromosome are the "girl" sperms. The Y sperm are faster, smaller, more agile but they do not last as long as the "girl" sperm. The X sperm are bigger and move quite slowly. In addition to their overall speed, they have different preferences in terms of the acidity of the vagina and cervix. An X sperm does better in an acidic environment while the Y sperm prefer an alkaline environment.
How These Differences Affect Conception
Now that we have established the differences between the sperm that carry different chromosomes, it is important to understand how these differences can be used for natural gender selection. Once you have this information, you can begin trying to conceive a child that will be a specific gender.
If you want to have a boy, the timing is crucial. Since these sperm do not live long, it is vital to time your intercourse as closely to ovulation as possible. This gives the Y sperm time to reach the egg before the X sperm do, increasing the chances that you will have a boy.
If you want to have a girl, you need to give the X sperm plenty of time to reach the egg. Since they live longer, this means that you want to time intercourse a few days before expected ovulation. By the time you ovulate, the Y sperm will have already died off, leaving only the X sperm behind. They will have the time needed to travel up through the cervix to reach the egg and fertilize it.

With over a 94% success rate, what do you have to lose? Check this video - http://tinyurl.com/PlanMyBabyGen

Answer 3

Not. Gender selection through political policy has been carried out in China and resulted in a serious shortage of girls: "In 1990, there were 12.73 million more boys than girls in the age range of 0-14, while 10 years later, the figure went up to be 18.07 million." (1) It is projected that by 2020 there will be 30 MILLION more men then women in China (2). The first link has some good information for why being short 30 million women might be a bad thing.

Answer 4

Well, While there are many debates over how ethical it is to choose the gender of your child before they are born, the fact remains that there are some natural methods you can use that will increase the likelihood of having a child of a specific gender. The ethics of it are up to you and while no method is 100% accurate, there are a few things that you can try that will help you increase your chances for having either a boy or a girl.

Answer 5

I'm all for eugenics...

Give me access to my own genome to dabble with, and sufficient knowledge of the various functioning parts..... and I would construct the perfect offspring.

Oddly enough, by choice I would make them female... though thats only because a non-sterile hermaphrodite would be impossible (though if it was possible I would quite probably go for that option)... Despite that however, it would be important not to involve too much of any of the sexual hormones, as that clouds judgement later in life.
Intelligence would be most essential... and that would also involve leaving my Aspergers "Syndrome" fully intact in the next generation. I would have no intention of begetting inferior neurotypicals.
Appearance-wise, I would aim for the optimal conditions for maintaining an appearance as close to the golden ratio in all aspects (1:1.6180327868852...) as possible. I would need to undertake more experiments with imagery to test the optimal colours.... naturally... but I would probably aim for pale skin, not too deeply coloured... optimised for balance between a 'natural' appearance and camoflage in an urban environment.
Physically she would have to be the epitome of health... even superhuman where possible, provided no significant drawbacks. Optimal reflexes would be essential.


The rest.... would be a matter of upbringing...

Oh yes... gender selection is just the beginning.
Humanity has all but killed its own evolutionary potential by automatic means... so perhaps its about time we took manual control.

Answer 6

I've heard about it but I don't really believe in picking the gender of a baby or hair/eye color. However, if you could make it where the child didn't have genetic defects or major illnesses I kind of believe in that but I'm not sure that we are there yet with science.

Answer 7

i know, if i had the choice, i wouldn't be able to choose, and i am totally against gender selection. i would like to know if the baby was a boy or girl, but that is it, just so i could choose the name.

Answer 8

Destiny is choice.You are able to choose what u r destined to have.Earlier it was destiny to choose what was there.Sex deternination/selection doesnt change our destinies.It is the baby who comes with.Not u.

Answer 9

Cloning, gender selection...like creepy sci-fi. People are not to be manufactured, ordered from a catalogue. Why stop at gender? If you're going to choose, why not specifically design the perfect human? Can I have a daughter & can I make her brilliant & musical with blue eyes & red hair etc...? (Tee hee that would just be my choice. I'm not saying blue-eyed redhaired females are perfect by any means! Tee hee)

No. You may hope for a girl or a boy but you don't get to choose. and you love your baby whatever it is. Life is meant to be random & beautiful. A surprise. A miracle. You never know what your baby will be & what they will become. That's the magic of life. You are not meant to play God & pre-determine it. Morally wrong to tamper with nature.

Answer 10

The science of life is what it is. Maybe you need to rethink your attitude a little bit.