Sex Selection for Family Balancing
This service allows you to choose a boy or a girl before you become pregnant in a process called sex selection. If you have a child and desire another of either the same or the opposite sex then this service allows you to balance the number of male or female children in your family.
What is Sex Selection?
Sex selection is the ability to increase the chances of having a child of a particular sex. The sex of a baby is determined by two chromosomes, one inherited from the mother and one from the father. These chromosomes are either X or Y. The egg, from the mother carries an X chromosome and the sperm from the father carries either an X or a Y and this is what determines the sex of the baby. If a Y bearing sperm fertilizes the egg, the embryo is male. If an X bearing sperm fertilizes an egg, the embryo is female. It is possible to have an abnormal arrangement of sex chromosomes, however, this is rare.
Technique for Sex Selection
Sex selection techniques are designed to increase the odds in favor of having either a baby boy or baby girl.
Methods of sex selection have been used since ancient times. The majority of prior techniques are not scientifically validated. Recent advances in cellular and molecular biology involving preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) on biopsied embryos have allowed accuracy approaching 100% that the desired sex of the child will be achieved.
PGD is the most effective technique available for sex selection (99%). PGD uses in vitro fertilization (IVF), creating embryos in the laboratory where they divide. After three days following fertilization, one cell from each dividing embryo is removed and analyzed for X and Y chromosomes using molecular probes so that the sex of the embryo can be determined. Only embryos of the desired sex are transfered into the mother's uterus. The remaining embryos can be saved through cryopreservation (freezing) for use later or donated to others who have difficulty having children in a process known as embryo donation.
Consent
You will be requested to sign a consent form giving us permission to proceed and acknowledge that all methods have limitations. Pregnancy success including the desired sex can not be guaranteed with 100% certainty.
Ethical Concerns
Sex selection is a hotly debated topic in many countries including the United States. Some have moral and ethical concerns with sex selection for non-medical reasons. The ethics committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (FertilSteril 2001;75:861-4) has concluded that “the most prudent approach at present for the nonmedical use of these techniques (for sex selection) would be to use them only for gender variety in a family.” They also state, “physicians should be free to offer preconception gender selection in clinical settings to couples who are seeking gender variety in their offspring if the couples 1) are fully informed of the risks of failure, 2) affirm that they will fully accept children of the opposite sex, if the preconception gender selection fails, 3) are counseled about having unrealistic expectations about the behavior of children of the preferred gender, and 4) are offered the opportunity to participate in research to track and assess the safety, efficacy, and demographics of preconception selection.”
The Fertility Centers of New England within appropriate standards of medical care respects and supports an individual's procreative autonomy which is a person's choice as to how, when and what children to have.
Chances of Success
Human reproduction is not a very efficient process as only 20% of couples attempting pregnancy on their own will achieve conception per month of trying. Pregnancy success rates with IVF are generally higher than this, but pregnancy is related to many factors foremost of which is the woman's age. Women under age 35 have a higher chance of pregnancy than women over age 35. In general, infertile women under age 35 may be expected to have a 50% to 60% chance of becoming pregnant, while those 36 to 38 years of age have between 35% to 45% and those 39 to 40 years old, only 20% to 30%. Women over age 40 have a lower chance of becoming pregnant and a higher chance of pregnancy loss (miscarriage) than those under age 40. The chance of a successful pregnancy with sex selection in women with a history of infertility or outstanding medical or surgical conditions may be less, while fertile women seeking sex selection may have higher success rates.
Confidentiality
The Fertility Centers of New England recognizes fertility-related treatment is a delicate, personal issue and believes that the care should be also. Our committment to individualized care extends to all of our services which are totally confidential. Our staff will release no information about you unless so authorized.