Gender Selection Options
Starting a family of your own is a great adventure, though some couples do need assistance. This is nothing to be ashamed of or self-conscious about since infertility can take many different forms. At our New Jersey fertility clinic, we have helped numerous couples achieve their dreams of starting a family of their own, allowing them to join others in the great excitement that parenthood offers.
Gender Selection and Fertility
One of the common concerns we get is gender selection. Many couples and individuals looking to start a family wish to have a girl rather than a boy or vice versa. Similarly, people who already have a child or multiple children sometimes want a child of a certain gender. A study published by the National Center for Health Statistics showed that roughly 1,050 boys are born for every 1,000 girls.
There are many fertility treatment options to consider in order to achieve this, though there are many barriers to consider. Right now we’d like to briefly go over the issue of gender selection and fertility treatment so you have an understanding of what is involved.
Is selecting the gender of a child possible?
Yes, gender selection through fertility treatment is possible, though it’s usually limited to certain fertility clinics. The treatment can be costly as well, which presents another barrier toward using fertility treatment to select the gender of your child.
How is this process performed?
The first step of gender selection treatment will involve the use of New Jersey IVF and artificial insemination. This means that eggs are harvested from a woman and fertilized outside of the body in a lab setting.
While outside of the woman’s body, these healthy embryos are then screened with a process known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). This technique is usually used to screen embryos for potential genetic disorders and diseases that may cause a miscarriage to occur, but it can also be used to select gender as well. Once this is completed, the embryos are placed into the uterus for the woman to carry the child to term.
Is it a viable option to consider?
This really depends on the needs of the family, though generally we only advise this for those who have compelling health-based reasons for gender selection. We can talk to you in greater detail about this matter at our fertility center in Voorhees, but generally we feel that part of the adventure of having a family is the excitement of learning if you’re going to have a boy or a girl as your baby develops.
Again, we should also point out that the use of PGD for gender selection is limited to certain clinics only and that the price of this service (especially when used solely for gender selection rather than addressing serious infant and maternal health matters) may prove prohibitive.
Speak with Our Fertility Specialists Today
If you would like more information about the gender of your child and other concerns pertaining to pregnancy and fertility, be sure to contact our New Jersey reproductive medicine center today. Our entire team of fertility experts is eager to meet with you and address your concerns. We will always give you straight answers so you can make the best possible decision.
