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Recommended: implications of assisted reproductive technology

Selecting the Gender of a Baby:
The issue on whether parents should be allowed to choose the sex of their baby has been a major controversial issue in the recent past that has attracted huge debates between proponents and opponents of such practice. This issue has received huge attention because of long-term use of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to help pregnant women in the United States and across the globe. This technology basically involves the transfer of fertilized human embryos into a woman’s uterus through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Advances in Assisted Reproductive Technology have contributed to various innovations such as Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, which enables parents to choose prenatally the sex of their offspring (Bumgarner, 2007, p.1289). This technology enables parents to select the sex of their babies through the use of medical techniques. While it is considered as a major breakthrough in reproductive health, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis has been surrounded with bioethical concerns and debate.
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis:
As previously mentioned, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a by-product of advances in Assistive Reproductive Technology that allows parent to select the sex of their offspring through medical techniques. Preimplantation processes basically occur before the embryo or sperm is set up into the woman’s body. This technique has emerged as an alternative to sperm-sorting since it is the process through which embryos in vitro are scanned for genetic disorders and sex. Once the eggs are removed from the woman and fertilized in vitro, one cell i.e. blastomere is withdrawn from a cleaving embryo and examined for certain genetic conditions (Bumgarner, 2007, ...

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...t we will have a society where people are allowed to tailor-make other human beings. This is a violation of human rights since every individual should be treated as human rather than a commercial good.
In conclusion, the issue on whether parents should be allowed to choose the sex of their baby has emerged because of advances in Assisted Reproductive Technology, especially Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. This issue has attracted numerous debates and controversies, which are mainly centered on its merits, demerits, morality and probable effects. Some of the arguments raised to support the practice include its non-medical advantages and reduction of the risk of sexism. Despite these arguments, this practice should be restricted because it contributes to commodification of children, is a form of sexism, and ignores several social issues related to reproduction.

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