How gender selection works and what are the techniques

How gender selection really works?

Gender selection, or choosing the sex of your baby, refers to the selection of the sex of your unborn baby before pregnancy. This option is usually offered to two groups of patients:

• Couples who wish to select the sex of their child due to a known genetic predisposition to a sex-linked condition (X-linked). X-linked conditions are single gene disorders that indicate the presence of genetic mutations or defects on the X chromosome. Since males acquire only one copy of the X chromosome from the mother, a single allele mutation is sufficient to cause a sex-linked disease in males. This suggests that males are more prone to the majority of X-linked diseases than females.
• Couples who already have children and wish to balance their family by having another child of the opposite sex. This group of patients usually does not have fertility problems and can have healthy children through natural conception methods. However, natural conception does not always produce "balanced" offspring, so assisted reproductive technologies come into play.

The techniques of gender selection explained.

Preimplantation diagnosis (PGD) to choose the sex of the child

Today, the only technique that is 100% reliable in choosing the sex of the baby is PGD (preimplantation diagnosis). This is the case when embryos are selected for pure convenience (choice of the child's sex). In several countries, PGD is strictly regulated by the 2011 bioethics law. It is reserved for parents at risk of transmitting a serious genetic disease to their child. In practice, oocytes are collected from the future mother who has undergone hormonal treatment. Then an in vitro fertilization is performed. After a few days of culture, a cell from each embryo obtained is examined. It is then determined whether the embryo is female or male and, above all, whether it is healthy. Finally, the disease-free embryos are implanted into the woman's uterus. This method is very expensive and the rate of pregnancies obtained remains very low, around 15%.

It is easy to understand that choosing the sex of the baby through this type of practice raises important ethical issues. In the United States and in other parts of the world, however, this question is not controversial. Genetic diagnosis of embryos after IVF is allowed, regardless of the intentions of the future parents. It has even become a juicy business. In California and Texas, clinics offer couples to choose the sex of their child for about $25,000 USD.

In Mexico, you can find this procedure for around $8,000USD.
Contact us to have more information, we'll gladly help you!

Sperm sorting with the Ericsson method

Since the sex of the baby is determined by the type of sperm (X or Y) that fuses with the egg, it would be sufficient to identify those carrying the chromosomes desired by the parents. In theory, it is indeed possible to select "male" and "female" sperm through genetic techniques. X sperm have more DNA than Y sperm, so they are heavier than Y sperm. They can therefore be easily sorted.

This is the Ericsson method, named after the scientist who discovered it. Sperm are sorted either on cell sorters or on serum albumin gradient columns. The accuracy of this technique is still not very good and is better suited to the selection of girls. In the United States, several dozen clinics specializing in MAP offer prenatal sex selection based on sperm sorting. The clinics obtain sperm consisting only of X or Y sperm and inject it into the woman's uterus for artificial insemination.

Choosing the sex of your baby: selective abortion

Another highly questionable method is selective abortion. In theory, it is possible to find out if you are expecting a boy or a girl during the second ultrasound, around the 22nd week of pregnancy. But with the progress of genetics, it is now possible to know the sex thanks to a maternal blood sample taken as early as the 8th week of pregnancy.

This is because fetal DNA is present in small quantities in the bloodstream of the mother-to-be. In a lot of countries, this technique is reserved only for future mothers likely to transmit a genetic disease. What would happen if these genetic tests were widely available? On the Internet, American sites propose to send a few drops of blood in order to know the sex of the child. And then what? Do an abortion if the sex is not suitable?

Note that all these practices are forbidden in most countries, but authorized elsewhere, especially in the United States, where the practice of "sexing" is very widespread. It is even called "family balancing" to designate the fact of choosing the sex of the future baby in order to maintain a balance between boys and girls within the family.

Calculating the ovulation date to have a boy or a girl

Research has shown that Y sperm (which result in an XY, male embryo, since the egg is X) are faster than X (female) sperm. X sperm are slower, but they survive longer in the uterine cavity.

Thus, the closer one has intercourse to ovulation, the more likely one is to have a boy. On the other hand, the more one makes love at a distance of ovulation, approximately 3 to 4 days before the date of ovulation, the more one increases its chances to have a girl.

How to start gender selection process in Mexico

The starting point for any treatment is an effective assessment of the couple to be treated. This is very important in deciding what type of treatment to follow and what dose of drug regimen to administer in order to optimize the outcome of your treatment.

For the female partner, we will need the following on day 2 or 3 of the menstrual period:

• FSH, LH, Estradiol, Prolactin, TSH and AMH hormone tests
• A basic ultrasound for follicle tracking and uterine observation

For the male partner, we will need a semen analysis performed with the Kruger method assessing volume, number, motility, morphology, pH and round cell count.

In addition, both partners will need to be screened for infectious diseases before the egg and sperm samples can be processed in the IVF laboratories in Mexico City. These tests must be administered in our own laboratories for safety reasons, as laboratory contamination is a very serious problem.

Note that you can choose the sex of your baby with IVF and this procedure is on the rise for American patients in Mexico.

Depending on your location, we may be able to recommend a local doctor for initial and follow-up testing before your arrival in Mexico. Once you have completed your tests, we will be able to assess your fertility level and decide on further treatment. At this point, we will be able to design your treatment protocol and provide you with a prescription so that you can obtain your medication. Your treatment schedule will also be provided, summarizing the use of the medication and the things to do on a daily basis while you prepare for your treatment.

This way you can do your preliminary work locally and then come to Mexico for a total of 8/9 days to finalize your treatment. However, if you wish to have your entire treatment here from start to finish with all your preliminary and screening tests, you will need to come here on day 1 of your menstrual period and stay in Mexico for a total of 20 days.

Source: Parents.fr

Other articles on the subject

The stages of pregnancy: before, during and after
Screening and preimplantation diagnosis in IVF
How do uterine fibroids affect IVF success and what can you do about it?