This archive report was first published on 14 July 2020.
IVF Gender Selection and the Ethics Behind It ¶
According to Dr. Wanjiru Ndegwa-Njuguna, a fertility expert, many clients ask her how to have a male child, as it is the gender in demand.
However, Dr. Wanjiru notes that gender selection does happen, but it is not 100 percent certain. In her experience, even women tend to desire more male children despite already having other male children, due to cultural norms that make couples inclined to have boys to have an heir to their name.
Dr. Wanjiru explains that in many African societies, if you haven't named your fathers, your name just disappears. This cultural pressure can lead to a desire for male children.
China and India have a gender crisis, with the male population outnumbering the female. In Kenya, however, the problem is not as dire, with the latest census showing almost equal proportions between the two genders, with women making up 50.5 percent of the population.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is an IVF procedure that can identify genetic defects in embryos before implantation. However, it is regulated in many countries due to the unethical use of selecting genders.
Dr. Wanjiru notes that PGD is a useful procedure that ensures that even people with diseases that can be passed on to offspring have a chance of having perfectly healthy children. However, she warns of the ethical issues enshrouding PGD, as only the desired embryo is implanted.
Dr. Wanjiru also discusses the Shettles Method, which relies on the unique attributes of the sex chromosomes, ovulation, and timing of intercourse and the depth of penetration. However, the effectiveness of this method is debatable, with some fertility experts saying that it isn't quite so cut and dry as there is no evidence that male and female sperm swim differently, or any showing that they survive differently.
According to Dr. Wanjiru, using the timing of ovulation could yield the desired result, however patients are informed that the outcome could go either way.
Published on July 14, 2020
