One Indian-American Couple's Story

Amit and Maya, Californians originally from India, had one young daughter who was followed by a series of miscarriages. Though they very much wanted to have another baby, they also wanted a son. When they realized they needed infertility help to have another child, they turned to high-tech gender selection as well, to solve their dilemma. “It’s a very, very good thing that we did,” says Amit. “We are a classic case for MicroSort.” They are now expecting a baby boy. Although the couple have strong Hindu beliefs, they’re “really into” technology. “We have certain religious beliefs but we also believe in technology,” says Amit.

Gender selection technology they say, was the perfect choice — they’re very excited about their expected baby boy. However, “it’s not a comfortable topic to talk about,” says Maya. They don’t talk about their decision with friends or any member of their families how they happened to conceive a boy. They sense disapproval from many. She says that in their native country, families definitely want sons: “Boys are raised like kings over there.” As is case in many other South Asian cultures, couples are influenced by their culture’s norms even when they’re living 12,000 miles away.