Category: Let's talk
today a group of MP's published a report saying that parents in the UK should be given the option to choose the sex of their baby. In order to choose the sex of a child, the couple would have to undergo IVF treatment. This treatment is somewhat invasive, anyway, the report suggested that couples who wished to "balance their families", such as a couple who say have 4 daughters and would like to have a son. So what do you all think. have children become too much of a commodity? should we just be grateful as long as the baby we have is healthy? personally I disagree with gender selection totally, unless it is for the purpose of having a certain sex baby because of genetic disorders, such as muscular distrophee which occurs only in boys. a family who already have a son with MD might choose to have a daughter so as to illiminate the risk of having another such child. apart from that I think people should just be grateful if they are able to have children.
Yeah, I think we should be happy with whatever we can get. There are tons of people who can't even have kids.
Well let's consider another dimension to this: in cases of adoption, and indeed in some cases of surrogacy, do we not already have gender selection as it were? There are many unwanted children around, and I ask myself how much that might have to do with parents becoming too preoccupied over the gender of the child. That said, I only cite these arguments as possible extensions to the debate. I personally do not think this is quite as cut and dry as Sugarbaby seems to do, but nonetheless I would be suspicious of a broad system of gender selection. Beware, though, of thinking it doesn't happen, because it does.
the type of muscular dystrophy Ducheynes only effects boys there is another that effects both sexes..however I think in certain circumstances its a positive step, but inevitably the system will be open to abuse.
ok but what about the moral issues ... some of you might remember the case of a family a couple of years ago who wanted to have gender selection because their only daughter (one of 5 children) was killed in a fire. they wanted to have another child and therefore wanted another daughter. Now in my view, that is blatantly trying to replace the child who had died. I do think that gender selection does happen in fact I know it does. someone I know works at a doctors surgery and she was telling me about a couple who are expecting, this couple's religion dictate that the first born child should be a boy, and they have asked if the nhs will pay for them to have a termination should she fall pregnant with a girl.
Can you blame a parent for wanting to replace a lost child it must be the worst feeling on earth...I don't have an issue with that..and as far as the sex issue in Asian cultures India for example girls are frequently killed by their disappointed parents, surely if the doctors can ensure the next child is a boy, that's far better than a child being murdered....
well I can partly see the argument for gender selection in certain cultures, however, if only a boy is good enough, aren't these people having children for the wrong reasons? as for replacing a child, while I cannot, and don't even want to imagine what it must be like to lose a child, although you could have another one, you can never replace a child.
The women are quite often forced, more likely raped, by their husbands when the refuse sex they are beaten and forcibly violated... condoms aren't acceptable to many religions..so many unwanted children result from this horriffic crime...
Also there is the question of status India is a highly
superficial country status means everything...
If the family can marry off their girl/boy to a good family its percieved as a real boost socially, and many do it simply to improve their standing in the caste system...in my mind that needs to be abolished...
also, remember how in some familys' cases, a specific illness/disease is only carried through one gender? what about those circumstances? otherwise I believe it's wrong myself!
autism is only in boys too.
There is a higher rate of it in boys, but girls can also have it.
Leilani
there is already a technique which can be used to screen embrios for certain genetic disorders, so selection of a healthy embrio because of a genetic disorder is not an issue. As for autism, as tinkerbelle said above, girls can also have the disorder but it is more prevalant in boys. Conditions like autism though are not seen as genetic, and there is no way to screen for the disorder.
I have to agree with something that has already been said. How do you replace a child? Yes, I'd like a girl first, but it has nothing to do with the little girl I've lost, I felt this way before her conception, it's simply that I understand girl babies better. As far as intentionally creating a girl just because I've lost a little girl. To me it's unthinkable and despicable. I'd simply love any child who is concieved. Any gender would be just as much a part of me...Now, I' have a question about this gender selection. Will they allow it for everyone? Or just the rich?
well wc that is actually a very good question. let's bear in mind that the report only suggested that it should be allowed, and half the MP's who were on the panel disagreed with the report anyway so it's by no means going to happen as yet. however, IVF treatment in this country very much happens like a postcode lottery - i.e. dependent on where you live, depends on whether your local health authority will fund IVF treatment - currently to have IVF privately costs approximately £3000, some health authorities will fund it, and some won't, and most will only fund one attempt. The government is looking to change this to ensure that all health authorities fund IVF for childless couples - whether gender selection would be funded on the NHS .. somehow, I sincerely doubt it, and actually, I'm not so sure that it should be. after all, if you want to be picky about having a certain sex child, yet are capable of conceiving a child naturally, why should the taxpayers pay for you to exercise a preference.
Personally i don't agree with gender selection. i think you should just be grateful that you've had a child, no matter what sex it is. As for disability, well, it depends. Everyone wishes for a healthy child, but if there is something wrong, they should get the appropriate help. I know someone who may not be able to have children, and that's all they want. You can't ever replace a child and i think it's wrong of people to try. I've just lost a friend and if my friend's mum ever fell pregnant again, this child wouldn't replace my friend.
in the case of selecting healthy embrios because of disability, I think there is good reason for doing so. conditions such as cystic fibrosis (which is not gender selective) and muscular distrophy (which in some strains is found only in boys) are horrible conditions and especially in the case of muscular distrophy, it leads to a very slow and debilitating death. no mother would deliberately choose to become pregnant with a child who will go through something like that. so if you could select to not have a child with the disability, at embrio stage, instead of having to wait your whole pregnancy to find out, then I think most would do so and I see nothing wrong with that.
Oh, I'm definitely in agreement about this. And I understand about the uncertainty of having a child. I did get pregnant once, and as I've stated; though not bluntly, we lost our little girl...However, since then I've been unable to concieve do to a problem I have. I know I could have a child, however, unlike there SugarBaby, the government will not assist under any circumstance. Hell, they won't even assist with a breast reduction when the woman is large enough to be damaging her back; let alone with helping a childless couple concieve. I know, I've checked into both...
Well it is a tricky one. A lot of people feel strongly about governments funding IVF treatments as many people do not consider infertility to be an illness. Also there is the argument that funding should be put into treating the people who are already ill in this country, without using it to create more.
i dont believe people should be able to choose what gender their child is. they should be greatful if they get pregnant, and having a healthy baby should be a plus. as far as the replacement of a child goes, i dont think there is such a thing. each child is unique in their own way.
When I read the topic title for this, I thaught Michael Jackson must have joined the site.
LOL!!! That's a good one. *grin* And I know the debate about helping couples who are having trouble conceiving...Believe me, I know it all to well. *sigh*