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Sex selection has the potential to skew future generations Sex selection has the potential to skew future generations
(2 months later)
As we consider whether the British ban on sex selection of children born through IVF is ethically justifiable or not, in India a controversy rages on precisely this issue. Shah Rukh Khan, one of Indian cinema's biggest stars (often referred to as the King of Bollywood), is facing allegations that he selected the sex of his baby boy, born in May through IVF and surrogacy.As we consider whether the British ban on sex selection of children born through IVF is ethically justifiable or not, in India a controversy rages on precisely this issue. Shah Rukh Khan, one of Indian cinema's biggest stars (often referred to as the King of Bollywood), is facing allegations that he selected the sex of his baby boy, born in May through IVF and surrogacy.
This unproven accusation has had media teams camped outside his house, because India has just been through some very raw and painful experiences linked to a highly imbalanced gender ratio. The brutal gang rape in Delhi last December is considered by many to be a consequence of years of unchecked sex selection favouring male children. In a very young country, where more than 50% of the population is under 25, there are simply not enough women – contributing to rising sexual violence, as many men have little hope of having a normal heterosexual relationship.This unproven accusation has had media teams camped outside his house, because India has just been through some very raw and painful experiences linked to a highly imbalanced gender ratio. The brutal gang rape in Delhi last December is considered by many to be a consequence of years of unchecked sex selection favouring male children. In a very young country, where more than 50% of the population is under 25, there are simply not enough women – contributing to rising sexual violence, as many men have little hope of having a normal heterosexual relationship.
This silent gendercide is taking place behind closed hospital doors despite the fact that sex selection has been illegal since 1994. But thanks to lax policing and a laissez-faire judicial system, very few cases have ever been pursued. It is essential, therefore, that those who are urging the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to allow sex selection for family "balancing" examine the situation in all its complexity. Opting for a particular sex is only one aspect of choosing what kind of child one wants for "social" purposes.This silent gendercide is taking place behind closed hospital doors despite the fact that sex selection has been illegal since 1994. But thanks to lax policing and a laissez-faire judicial system, very few cases have ever been pursued. It is essential, therefore, that those who are urging the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to allow sex selection for family "balancing" examine the situation in all its complexity. Opting for a particular sex is only one aspect of choosing what kind of child one wants for "social" purposes.
This week, a report by medical ethicists concluded there was no justification for the UK's current ban. But the authors should consider the psychological and physical impact of these decisions at the family, national and global level. If we begin to commodify such a natural phenomenon it could lead to dangerous results, with individuals and doctors deciding together what the "ideal" child could be.This week, a report by medical ethicists concluded there was no justification for the UK's current ban. But the authors should consider the psychological and physical impact of these decisions at the family, national and global level. If we begin to commodify such a natural phenomenon it could lead to dangerous results, with individuals and doctors deciding together what the "ideal" child could be.
When I was researching my last novel, Origins of Love, which dealt with surrogacy and IVF, I found that the demands could, quite quickly, go beyond the sex of the child. These could include the colour of the child's skin or its probable IQ, or indeed any other feature that the parents might covet. Examining practices undertaken during IVF treatment, especially where the donor eggs and sperm need not be that of the commissioning parents, I came across some alarming examples. Parents and doctors often want more and more control of the "designer" baby they are creating. In the long run this could have unintended consequences, such as disappointment if the "product" turns out not to be as good as planned, and the desire for another designer baby to make up for the failure of the first.When I was researching my last novel, Origins of Love, which dealt with surrogacy and IVF, I found that the demands could, quite quickly, go beyond the sex of the child. These could include the colour of the child's skin or its probable IQ, or indeed any other feature that the parents might covet. Examining practices undertaken during IVF treatment, especially where the donor eggs and sperm need not be that of the commissioning parents, I came across some alarming examples. Parents and doctors often want more and more control of the "designer" baby they are creating. In the long run this could have unintended consequences, such as disappointment if the "product" turns out not to be as good as planned, and the desire for another designer baby to make up for the failure of the first.
Even if interventions are carried out purely for the purpose of selecting sex, these choices can affect other children in the family who might feel that they are of the unwanted gender, particularly in Asian countries where there is a marked preference for male offspring, creating a huge gender imbalance. A World Health Organisation report found that even in European countries such as Germany there is "a slight preference for boys over girls" as a firstborn child. This preference, however slight, has the potential to skew future generations. There is no telling to what lengths human intervention will go – and once it begins, it becomes harder to limit.Even if interventions are carried out purely for the purpose of selecting sex, these choices can affect other children in the family who might feel that they are of the unwanted gender, particularly in Asian countries where there is a marked preference for male offspring, creating a huge gender imbalance. A World Health Organisation report found that even in European countries such as Germany there is "a slight preference for boys over girls" as a firstborn child. This preference, however slight, has the potential to skew future generations. There is no telling to what lengths human intervention will go – and once it begins, it becomes harder to limit.
The main reason why sex selection still goes on in India, frankly, is thanks to sympathetic doctors who still feel (much like the ethicists behind the British report) that parents have a right to decide. Medical professionals tend to state they are rescuing mothers from a lifetime of oppression, because Indian women are under social pressure to produce a male child, and if they do not do so, their situation could become life-threatening. But in India, and in Britain, there are moments when the medical fraternity must step back from intervention and allow nature to take its course.The main reason why sex selection still goes on in India, frankly, is thanks to sympathetic doctors who still feel (much like the ethicists behind the British report) that parents have a right to decide. Medical professionals tend to state they are rescuing mothers from a lifetime of oppression, because Indian women are under social pressure to produce a male child, and if they do not do so, their situation could become life-threatening. But in India, and in Britain, there are moments when the medical fraternity must step back from intervention and allow nature to take its course.
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