Dear Doctor,
I met this lady two years ago and we have one girl. I would
like to have three to four kids, possibly three boys and one girl. How
do I get boys now? Regards, CF
Dear CF,
I am sure you have your own reasons for wishing that your
subsequent babies are all boys. It doesn’t seem like you are looking for
a family balance, as you clearly want more boys.
But sex selection purely for social reasons has ethical and
demographic dilemmas, and is medically illegal in many jurisdictions.
However, advanced medical technology and increasing demand for sex
selection have both created the need for more debate on the matter.
There is a push for relaxation of the rules on a selective basis,
and more couples may have a chance to pre-select the desired sexes of
their future children.
Sex determination is dictated by chromosomes (structures that
contain genes) carried by sperms. Females have the XX chromosome
complement, while males are XY. If an X bearing sperm fertilizes an egg,
a baby girl is conceived. Conversely a baby boy will be conceived if a Y
bearing sperm fertilizes an egg. Thus having a boy or a girl occurs
purely by chance.
But can you
influence the chances of having either a boy or a girl? You will find
common advice based on physical characteristics of X or Y bearing
sperms. This includes the timing of sexual intercourse in relation to
expected time of ovulation, certain sexual positions, and even changing
your diet. Such advice is very imprecise and has not been scientifically
proven to influence eventual sex of the baby. You might as well toss a
coin!
More scientifically sound methods of sex selection are available,
but must be combined with assisted conception techniques. X and Y
bearing sperms can be separated with laser guided techniques. The
desired sperms can subsequently be inseminated into the womb, with over
90 percent chance of success.
In-vitro fertilization (IVF) can be used to preselect fertilized
eggs (embryos) of the desired sex. This virtually guarantees conception
with the desired sex, but is only licensed in cases where a medical
reason for sex selection exists. Accessing such techniques for social
sex selection is limited by cost, and the law.
Guaranteeing that your next baby will be a boy through natural
conception is at best a gamble. Be ready to raise whatever sex you get,
statistical chances are that you will father a boy as the number of the
children your bear increases.
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