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Should Parents Be Allowed To Choose The Sex Of Their Child

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Should Parents Be Allowed To Choose The Sex Of Their Child
Should Parents be Allowed to Choose the Sex of Their Child? The debate of where parents should be allowed to use technology for sex-selection is widely debated. During the late 1970s to 80s, in-vitro fertilization and embryo screening technologies paved the way to determine a baby’s gender. The IVF procedure, starts by the stimulation of ovaries aided from serum of human chorionic gonatrophin injected into the female. From there the female produces multiple embryos which are then removed and fertilized in a laboratory by a sperm donor. It takes about 3 days for the embryo to culture into either a female or male offspring. Usually sex-selection was available for only couples who did not want to pass on genetic disorders to their children. However, in recent times people use this procedure to achieve, “family balancing”. This happens when a sex of a child is the opposite gender to the other sibling. But “family balancing” is banned in Australia, the AHEC stats that “admission to life should not be conditional upon a child being a particular sex” (Australian Health Ethics Committee 2004). The AHEC believe that sex selection will start sexual and social prejudices. Even today it is documented in many cultures, where men are seen superior to women or even sometimes vice versa, creating inequality amongst society. In religion, sex-selection is seen as sin against god for taking life into our own hands. Such as stated in a Catholic pope’s announcement about the subject, “In vitro fertilization is wrong because it separates human procreation from conjugal union (Paul V1). In the process, couples make themselves the master of human life instead of its steward”. Many religions are against sex-selection because it takes away from the natural order of life. This procedure is seen as unethical because it breaches the line of divine right. Traditionally in agrarian society, men are more favored than women. Mainly because males are consider to have more strength and


Cited: 1. AHEC (NHMRC).2004.Ch.11 Sex Selection Procedure. 2. Pope Paul V1, 25 July-Huamanae Vitae-encyclical letter. 3. CBS Tatiana Morales,-,2002 Choosing Your Baby’s Gender. 4. Issues of Our Time Anthony Khoo-2008 Should Tech be Used for Gender?
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