Pre-selecting for preferred gender

[RZehr]

I just found out that technology has been invented (and is being used in the dairy industry) that when utilized, gives the ability to pre-determine which sex you want a baby to be. In the dairy world, this is fantastic, because you can have all your calves be female instead of male and female. Which means that the mother cows are not each needing to be bred as frequently.
Do you have ethical objections to using this technology in humans? If so what are they?

Here is the link to the company: https://www.sexingtechnologies.eu/

Its technology uses a machine that applies a fluorescent dye to cells that reacts differently on female X chromosomes than male Y chromosomes. As the dyed cells flow past a laser beam, the amount of fluorescence is detected and an electrical charge is applied, which deflects the cells into different containers. The sorted semen is then sold in vials known as straws.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

[Ken]

I just found out that technology has been invented (and is being used in the dairy industry) that when utilized, gives the ability to pre-determine which sex you want a baby to be. In the dairy world, this is fantastic, because you can have all your calves be female instead of male and female. Which means that the mother cows are not each needing to be bred as frequently.
Do you have ethical objections to using this technology in humans? If so what are they?

Here is the link to the company: https://www.sexingtechnologies.eu/

Its technology uses a machine that applies a fluorescent dye to cells that reacts differently on female X chromosomes than male Y chromosomes. As the dyed cells flow past a laser beam, the amount of fluorescence is detected and an electrical charge is applied, which deflects the cells into different containers. The sorted semen is then sold in vials known as straws.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

So the only way you could do this is through a fertility clinic using IVF? I would think the biggest moral objection would be to using IFV itself due to the likely destruction of embryos. More so than the sex selection.

I expect that a very tiny percentage of people who don't need to use IVF would chose to go through the hassle and expense just to increase the chance of one sex or the other. But who knows, perhaps some rich people who want a male heir might do it.

BTW, I read somewhere a statistically significant higher number of youngest children are boys rather than girls. Apparently it is not uncommon (especially in the past) to keep having kids until you finally get a boy.

[RZehr]

I just found out that technology has been invented (and is being used in the dairy industry) that when utilized, gives the ability to pre-determine which sex you want a baby to be. In the dairy world, this is fantastic, because you can have all your calves be female instead of male and female. Which means that the mother cows are not each needing to be bred as frequently.
Do you have ethical objections to using this technology in humans? If so what are they?

Here is the link to the company: https://www.sexingtechnologies.eu/

Its technology uses a machine that applies a fluorescent dye to cells that reacts differently on female X chromosomes than male Y chromosomes. As the dyed cells flow past a laser beam, the amount of fluorescence is detected and an electrical charge is applied, which deflects the cells into different containers. The sorted semen is then sold in vials known as straws.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business ... story.html

So the only way you could do this is through a fertility clinic using IVF?

I expect that a very tiny percentage of people who don't need to use IVF would chose to go through the hassle and expense just to increase the chance of one sex or the other.

BTW, I read somewhere a statistically significant higher number of youngest children are boys rather than girls. Apparently it is not uncommon (especially in the past) to keep having kids until you finally get a boy.

To clarify, I don't know that it has been used in humans. So I don't know what the mechanics of it would look like. It says they've attained a 90% success rate on the gender.
I'm more interested in the ethical aspect than I am the mechanical aspect.

[Ken]

I just found out that technology has been invented (and is being used in the dairy industry) that when utilized, gives the ability to pre-determine which sex you want a baby to be. In the dairy world, this is fantastic, because you can have all your calves be female instead of male and female. Which means that the mother cows are not each needing to be bred as frequently.
Do you have ethical objections to using this technology in humans? If so what are they?

Here is the link to the company: https://www.sexingtechnologies.eu/

So the only way you could do this is through a fertility clinic using IVF?

I expect that a very tiny percentage of people who don't need to use IVF would chose to go through the hassle and expense just to increase the chance of one sex or the other.

BTW, I read somewhere a statistically significant higher number of youngest children are boys rather than girls. Apparently it is not uncommon (especially in the past) to keep having kids until you finally get a boy.

To clarify, I don't know that it has been used in humans. So I don't know what the mechanics of it would look like. It says they've attained a 90% success rate on the gender.
I'm more interested in the ethical aspect than I am the mechanical aspect.

Reading through the description it sounds like a LOT more embryos would be destroyed using this method than through regular IVF. But maybe I'm not understanding the description of the process.

[Soloist]

Ethically Ken would be right. The primary objection should be the destruction of embryos. Another side would be eugenics, although this is a little different then eugenics.

[Ken]

Ethically Ken would be right. The primary objection should be the destruction of embryos. Another side would be eugenics, although this is a little different then eugenics.

I could see moral or ethical objections to sex selection that are more based on what is good for society rather than something that violates a specific tenant of Christianity.

Unless you want to make a more elliptical religious argument about how the sex of your baby should be "God's will" or something.

[Josh]

I would strongly object to this use in humans, even if it doesn’t result in killing babies.

Many cultures don’t value girl babies and place a higher value on sons. Yet God’s plan for man is just like in the garden: 50% male and 50% female. Every girl created by God is precious.

In countries with widespread abortion that have this practice, girl babies are aborted. Then there ends up being a gender imbalance - too many males and not enough females for marriage and companionship. This leads to broad societal instability.

[Soloist]

Ethically Ken would be right. The primary objection should be the destruction of embryos. Another side would be eugenics, although this is a little different then eugenics.

I could see moral or ethical objections to sex selection that are more based on what is good for society rather than something that violates a specific tenant of Christianity.

Unless you want to make a more elliptical religious argument about how the sex of your baby should be "God's will" or something.

I do see it as being God’s will, but that isn’t the only issue.

[temporal1]

I would strongly object to this use in humans, even if it doesn’t result in killing babies.

Many cultures don’t value girl babies and place a higher value on sons. Yet God’s plan for man is just like in the garden: 50% male and 50% female. Every girl created by God is precious.

In countries with widespread abortion that have this practice, girl babies are aborted. Then there ends up being a gender imbalance - too many males and not enough females for marriage and companionship. This leads to broad societal instability.

Sex-selection abortions are an established international business in Canada. Another related business is birthing tourism to establish anchor baby citizenship, in the U.S., i suppose in Canada, maybe other countries?

By now, the consequences of interferring with nature are known, and there is a high human and cultural price.

In college, our daughter dated a young man whose family operated a state of the art Angus beef farm. They used IVF AI / artificial insemination exclusvely for various business and practical reasons. Worship of The Efficiency God is still idol worship.

[Ken]

Ethically Ken would be right. The primary objection should be the destruction of embryos. Another side would be eugenics, although this is a little different then eugenics.

I could see moral or ethical objections to sex selection that are more based on what is good for society rather than something that violates a specific tenant of Christianity.

Unless you want to make a more elliptical religious argument about how the sex of your baby should be "God's will" or something.

I do see it as being God’s will, but that isn’t the only issue.

Well, one could argue that any use of IFV violate's God's will, whether or not you sex-select.

I'm just saying there are additional ethical reasons to oppose this even if they aren't specifically derived from Christianity.