Is it possible to choose the sex of the child during IVF

For people who are not familiar with the IVF process, the possibility of independently choosing the sex of a child may seem like a real fantasy.

IVF or in vitro fertilization is an artificial insemination procedure. For many couples, IVF is the only possible way to conceive a child who cannot do it naturally. That is, resorting to this method in the family, a child may appear not as a result of his adoption, but as a result of natural childbirth.

In addition, the IVF procedure allows the couple to plan the sex of the child. Often, couples who have been unable to conceive a child on their own for a long period of time do not care who is born – a boy or a girl. But, there are exceptions. Some women really want a boy, or 100% a girl, and therefore carefully calculate the most favorable days of conception according to a special scheme, adhere to a certain diet, and also resort to other methods that can affect the conception of a child of a certain sex. None of these methods gives a 100% guarantee.

During the IVF procedure, the chances of conceiving a boy or a girl significantly increase. This is directly related to the fact that the fertilization process takes place in a test tube and the specialist has the opportunity to select a specific egg. This procedure is called Preimplantation Genetic Testing, or Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis.

How is the sex of the unborn baby formed during IVF?

Modern biologists have proved that the sex of a child is formed from the father, and not from the mother, as previously thought. This is easily explained by the fact that the father’s body contains X and Y chromosomes, while the mother has only two types of X chromosomes. It is the sperm that carries the information of the sex of the future baby, and not the mother’s egg. When fertilization happened to the X chromosome, a girl is born, if the Y chromosome is a boy. But in nature, everything happens more complicated than in theory.

At the earliest stages, absolutely every human embryo is female. Only after some time, when both chromosomes are included in the work, the sex of the child is formed.

In what cases does a couple need to choose the sex of the unborn baby during IVF?

Many people believe that the price of surrogacy is very high, they have every right to choose the sex of the unborn child. In the Russian Federation,Belarus, as well as in many other countries, it is forbidden to choose the sex of a child with IVF. It’s good that there are PGD and PGT procedures. Thanks to them, abnormal changes can be assessed, which can negatively affect the development of the fetus. This procedure is absolutely safe for the embryo. Thanks to the use of the PGD procedure, you can also find out the sex of the baby.

There are cases when important circumstances force you to choose the sex of a child, for example, possible hereditary diseases that are transmitted by a certain gender. In the USA, IVF with a choice of gender is not prohibited, on the contrary, many doctors themselves recommend future parents to choose who will be born to them.