Gender Selection Essay, Research Paper

The Future is here

The idea of being able to choose the gender of a child has not always been around. This controversy did not come about until recently because now we have the technology to perform this act of sex determination. Some say that we should be able to choose the gender of our children. However, other people think that we shouldn t be able to because they say that it is experimenting with nature. Also, that it is unnatural. I used to think the way of the second viewpoint, but not anymore. There is absolutely nothing wrong with couples being able to choose whether they want to have a baby girl or a boy.

According to an article in Newsweek called The Brave New World of Sex Selection by Thomas Hayden, this is possible. The article states how it is done. To do this, scientists measure DNA in sperm cells and pass the millions of them through a tiny tube in a single file. They then separate the girl sperm from the boy sperm . They can tell the difference because girl sperm has more DNA. The separated sperm cells are then used, one or the other, to impregnate a woman to have a girl or a boy. In a study, fifteen out of seventeen women with the girl sperm had girls. Getting the Girl by Lisa Bellkin, an article in the New York Times Magazine, states a 93% success rate.

Some mothers might only want a girl when others might want a boy. If a couple has a strong opinion that one sex is easier to raise over the other, such as a boy, they might not want the hardship of trying to raise a girl. A family could also want a boy to carry on the family name.

In my opinion, I would go through this process to have a girl. I think that since obviously I am a girl, I could do a better job of raising a girl than a boy. A parent could think that they know more about one sex than the other and choose to raise that sex.

Another reason that I think people should be able to choose the gender of their child is because if you already have three boys in your house, it could be time for a change. Time to have a girl around.

This selection could also be a way to avoid a particular disease or sickness, whether it is genetic or not. An example would be if breast cancer runs in your family or even if it doesn t. Participating in this sex selection is a surefire way to know that your child won t have this problem, if you choose a boy. Colorblindness is another problem, particularly affecting males. It is extremely rare in females. My Aunt has four kids, three boys and a girl. Every single one of the boys is colorblind except the girl. This runs in her family and all of my cousins are carriers. Luckily, none of my cousin s offspring has colorblindness. This risk could have been highly avoided, had they chosen not to have a boy and to only have females. The risk would have been almost slim to none.

Some say this process is not natural. I say, how is it not natural? When doing this, the doctors and scientists aren t using any chemicals or anything like that at all. They are simply making sure that all of the girl sperm or boy sperm fertilizes the egg. One or the other would happen anyway. They are just letting one happen over the other.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with couples being able to choose whether they want to have a baby girl or a boy. This is not unnatural. This is not inhumane. This is not a way of loving one sex more than the other. Gender selection is helpful. This wonderful process is a way to avoid disease. This isn t the future. It s here whether people like it or not and people are choosing this method more and more each day. Sex determination is simply aiding parents in raising their future children.