Lifestyle
Why do you want a daughter? Why does your husband yearn for a son? Why does the first son in a family seem to grab the most attention? What motivates couples to seek family balancing techniques? There’s no simple answer as to what makes people yearn for a baby boy or girl. But most of the reasons have emotional, or cultural roots or both. Some people cannot even put into words why they long for a baby girl or boy—they just do.
This section explores what motivates people to seek baby girls and boys today. We also look at how couples move from yearning into action. Since the practice of gender selection carries some negative connotations, some people don’t tell anyone about their decisions, fearing judgment or scorn. Some do it just because the technology is there.
We also explore the legal and ethical issues connected with family balancing. A strong segment of society see PGD as the blind march of technology down the slippery slope of designer babies and eugenics. What’s next, they ask? A world of blond-haired, blue-eyed, 6’4” men? Others see this slope as meddling with nature, with untold consequences. We sort through these issues here, and present the views of some leading ethicists and doctors in the field.
In addition, we present two leading organizations' prescriptions on family balancing: the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
The emerging laws on family planning are also discussed, along with a list of the countries that currently ban PGD for gender selection purposes.
