Sex Selection Practices, Policies & Prospects Prepared for Gender and Justice in the Gene Age New York, May 7, 2004 Presented by Diane Beeson
Dec 23, 2015
Sex Selection
Practices, Policies & Prospects
Prepared for Gender and Justice in the Gene AgeNew York, May 7, 2004Presented by Diane Beeson
Prenatal diagnosis techniques Amniocentesis
99.9% accuracy at 15-18 weeks .5-1% risk of miscarriage
CVS (Chorionic villus sampling) 99.9% accuracy at 10-13 weeks
1-2% risk of miscarriage
Ultrasound 90% accuracy at 12 weeks
Maternal blood test experimental only-unreliable to date
Sperm Sorting: Ericcson Technique
Developed in 1970s Drug use + sperm sorting 70-75% accuracy claimed & disputed Distributed by U.S. based Gametrics,
Inc.
Sperm Sorting: MicroSort
Available since 1995 Undergoing clinical trials in U.S. Uses florescent dye to facilitate
sperm sorting Two U.S. labs currently licensed $2,300 min. lab fees per try 88% success for girls; 73% for boys
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) First performed in 1989 Accuracy >95% Removes 1-2 cells from embryo 3 days after
fertilization produced via IVF Tests each embryo and implants the one(s) that
possess the desired chromosomes or genes Pregnancy rate of less than 20% per PGD cycle Cost varies usually about $2000 + cost of IVF Practiced in about 50 clinics worldwide More than 1000 babies born worldwide
Sex Selection Policies – U.K. Human Fertilization and Embryology
Authority (HFEA Established in 1991 Licenses and monitors reproductive and genetic
technologiesIVF, sperm donation & storage
Sperm sorting not yet covered by HFEA PGD may be used for medical reasons only 2003 public consultation -2/3 believe sex
selection should be regulated
Council of Europe: Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine
Article 14: The use of techniques of medically assisted procreation shall not be allowed for the purpose of choosing a future child’s sex, except where serious hereditary sex-related disease is to be avoided.
Canadian Policy on Sex Selection
Assisted Human Reproduction Agency Canada (AHRAC)
Established in 2004 Governed by 13 member board At least 50% female
Canada: Continued Prohibited Activities (under AHRA)
5.1.e. No person shall knowingly for the purpose of creating a human being, perform any procedure or provide, prescribe or administer any thing that would ensure or increase the probability that an embryo will be of a particular sex, or that would identify the sex of an in vitro embryo, except to prevent, diagnose or treat a sex-linked disorder or disease;
US Policy on Sex Selection
No direct regulation of PGD or sperm sorting
Claims of professional self regulation
Professional Self Regulation
American Medical Association Unethical to engage in selection on the
basis of non-disease related characteristics or traits
American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists PGD acceptable for sex selection only for
medical conditions
American Society of Reproductive Medicine
Advocates exemption from IRB oversight on PGD on grounds that it is a clinical practice
1999 Ethics Committee report discourages sex selection
2001 Ethics report deems sex selection ethically acceptable.
Clear internal divisions with some members actively promoting sex selection
Commercialization of Sex Selection
Aggressive sales strategies Newspaper & internet advertising Sales & Free offers Guarantees
Ad agency justifications/euphemisms Normalizes process in historical terms “Family balancing” and “gender variety” Claim that most seek girls
Recent Study of U.S. College Students
Significant overall preference for firstborn males
Specific preference among potential SST users for firstborn males
D. Swetkis, F.D. Gilroy & Roberta Steinbacher. “Firstborn preference and attitudes toward using sex selction technology.” Journal of Genetic Psychology, June 2002, v.163, p. 228
Dahl & Moretti (2003) suggests that gender bias in US is significant: Women with girls more likely to
be divorced
Women with only girls more likely to have never been married that women with only boys
Gender of child affects marital status at delivery when gender is known in advance
Single pregnant women having ultrasound are less likely to be married at delivery if results show girl
Child gender has strong effect on fertility stopping rules
Child gender affects probability of alimony payments, second marriages and second divorces.
Dahl, Gordon B. and Moretti, Enrico, "The Demand for Sons: Evidence from Divorce, Fertility, and Shotgun Marriage" (January 2004). NBER Working Paper No. W10281. Available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=495787.
Questions for Consideration How do we negotiate the tension between personal
choice and social justice in developing regulation of sex selection?
Is our current situation a result of our failure to
challenge the validity of the distinction between medical and non-medical uses of genetic testing?
Are there dangers in abandoning the above distinction with more non-medical interventions on the horizon?
What is the best strategy for combating sex selection?