WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Gender testing of an embryo at the blastocyst stage simply for "family balancing" is ethically untenable, determined a panel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Action Points
Explain to patients who ask that medical reasons for determining the sex of a blastocyst or embryo prior to implantation include prevention of sex-linked genetic disorders, such as Duchenne's muscular dystrophy or hemophilia.
Explain that professional medical organizations worldwide say that it is ethically acceptable to perform sex selection of embryos for medical reasons only, and not for purposes of family "balance" or parental preferences for children of one gender over another.
"The Committee on Ethics supports the practice of offering patients procedures for the purpose of preventing serious sex-linked genetic diseases," panel members wrote in an opinion published in the February issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
"However, the committee opposes meeting requests for sex selection for personal and family reasons, including family balancing, because of the concern that such requests may ultimately support sexist practices," they continued.
The committee opinion is in line with that of other groups, the authors noted, including the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development, and Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority Code of Practice.
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Sex selection abortion is legal. But of course, feminists support it being legal, even if it is sexist and potentially damaging, as the situation in China and India shows.
