Gender selection

[JustRuby]

Following on from my other thread ' 8 boys and wanting a girl'  I was wondering what you all thought about this? There is a medical procedure called PDB which is like IVF but but for fertile couples where before the embryos are implanted the are screened and the male or female ones are discarded depending on the preference of the patient.

Do you think it morally wrong to try to influence the gender balance? Shouldn't we all just be greatful for what we recieve being that many couples can't have any children. If this becomes the norm what happens in societies where one sex is preferred over another?

[The Naughtiest Girl]

On simple preference grounds then I do not believe that this should be allowed and I am sure that the regulatory body that monitor this ( whose name escapes me but will google later) would not allow this

HOWEVER on medical grounds , if there is a condition that has more propensity in males rather than females eg muscular Dystrophy then yes I can see why gender selection would be a welcome option
r
x

[infinity67]

God. Can't we leave something for mother nature to decide?

[danensis]

If a society prefers one sex over the other, the minority sex will become more valued as it will be rarer. If there are too many boys, they'll just start fighting - that's what wars are for.

John

[JustRuby]

This procedure is illegal in this country but is legal in most European countries and in the States.

It made me shiver a bit when this woman who went through this procedure for no other reason than wanting a daughter, discarded her male embryos without a thought but thats probably a different debate.

Personally, I think there is something not quite right about this. Its almost like going to a supermarket and picking and choosing your child when we should all be happy with what we given.