CGS-authored
Humans always have cared about the gender of their offspring and over the centuries have used a variety of means, from herbal teas to infanticide, to attempt to get the boy or girl they wanted. Today, in-vitro fertilization finally gives parents reliable means for controlling their child's gender. It's tempting to think, "How nice for parents to have this kind of control over their future family."
But is the following what we have in mind? A clinical trial at Baylor College of Medicine is investigating the reasoning and beliefs of 25 couples seeking genetic diagnosis of their embryos for gender selection. The lucky couples must have one child already and want another of the opposite sex.
Until now, use of this procedure -- known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD -- for genetic selection has been reserved for medically justifiable cases, such as the prevention of gender-linked genetic diseases. There's good reason for this. A woman has to undergo highly invasive and somewhat risky hormonal treatment to stimulate egg production (risks include ovarian hyperstimulation and multiple pregnancy).
The eggs are...
But is the following what we have in mind? A clinical trial at Baylor College of Medicine is investigating the reasoning and beliefs of 25 couples seeking genetic diagnosis of their embryos for gender selection. The lucky couples must have one child already and want another of the opposite sex.
Until now, use of this procedure -- known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD -- for genetic selection has been reserved for medically justifiable cases, such as the prevention of gender-linked genetic diseases. There's good reason for this. A woman has to undergo highly invasive and somewhat risky hormonal treatment to stimulate egg production (risks include ovarian hyperstimulation and multiple pregnancy).
The eggs are...