Aidan Babbitt

February 27, 2017

Expository Writing

Ms. Johnson

The Ethics of Gender Selection

Has science gone too far? A question commonly used as a joke becomes gravely serious.

With the ever-evolving expanse of technology, boundaries are pushed daily. One of the newest

rages is genetic editing, more specifically the act of choosing a childs gender before or after

conception. This advanced technique opens a huge can of ethical worms. It begs the question of

whether it is okay to choose the gender of a child, or whether it is something that should be

deemed immoral. The topic is controversial, but by looking at the way the gender is chosen, the

major problems caused by gender imbalance, and how gender selection can influence sexist

tendencies, one can see that choosing a childs gender is unethical.

There are three types of methods for gender selection: pre-natal testing, pre-implantation

genetic diagnoses and sperm sorting. Pre-natal testing consists of getting an ultrasound to

observe the gender of the fetus, and then if the gender is unwanted the parents abort the fetus.

Abortion in itself is already an incredibly controversial topic that could be talked about for hours

on its own. The pre-natal testing is the only real controversial method of gender selection, but

also the most common in high populated areas. Pre-implantation genetic diagnoses and sperm

sorting are much more complex. They require testing outside of the body. The genetic diagnosis

calls for the testing of embryos to see which ones are of the desired gender, and then those are

then re-entered into the female. Sperm sorting is when doctors individually go through sperm to
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detect the sex chromosome, and then artificially inseminate the female resulting in a child of the

desired gender (Shekar). Pre-implantation genetic diagnoses and sperm sorting are very

expensive processes. While abortion can be expensive it is significantly less than the surgical bill

required for the other two procedures. Due to the relatively low cost of abortion the gender

selection technique of pre-natal testing is most common. As a result, in male dominated

populations, like in China, abortions are happening left and right. A common argument to this is

that someone doesnt have to use pre-natal testing to solidify the sex of their child. While this is

true, it was previously stated that the other two are less common and more expensive than the

pre-natal option. Alternatives dont do anything if no one chooses them.

This dilemma is seen in full force, in no other than China. A country of booming

population. It is here one can see the intense consequences of gender selection. China has very

strict population control because it is such a large nation, but the problem is that this favors men.

In Chinese culture it is more acceptable to have a male child, for they are more likely to succeed

in the country (Dahl). With the groundbreaking technology that is genetic editing, China has

come to an impass. So many couples are selecting to have males that the country is running out

of females. Soon there will not be enough females for the men to marry. A healthy population

relies on an equilibrium between the two genders. If this equilibrium is not strictly regulated the

nation in question can fall into crisis. In all places the continuation of the family tree is

important. In China it is especially important. The male populace is rapidly outgrowing the

female populace which will result in the end of bloodlines for some families. This fact is only

exponentialized by the incredibly dense population. A major argument is that China has the

one-child policy to combat overpopulation. The policy is fairly self explanatory. Families can
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only have one child, or one birth more specifically. However this argument is flawed, not only

because this policy was recently relaxed to allow families two children, but because it fails to

slow populace growth. Since Chinas population is already so immense that limiting the amount

of children families can have only slows, not stops, the effects of gender imbalance. This radical

gender imbalance will only be augmented by gender selection, and the consequences will be

extreme. China may be an extreme case of gender imbalance, but is not the only country who is

struggling with this imbalance of gender ratios. While it is mostly in countries located in

Southern Asia if we fail to regulate gender selection it could happen in America too.

Another largely disputed problem about gender selection is the danger that it brings in

creating sexist ideals (Sex Selection Can Lead to Gender Discrimination). Preeti Shekar, a

feminist activist and journalist from India said:

the decision to select a child's gender may be harmful if made for social rather

than medical reasons. In societies that favor male children, gender selection

technologies help parents to select male rather than female offspring. This helps

the parents avoid resorting to female infanticide and feticide and removes pressure

on the mother from husband and relatives to bear sons. However, use of these

technologies for gender selection for societal reasons perpetuates sexist attitudes

about the feminine gender. Moreover, the practice creates an imbalance in the ratio

of males to females in countries, such as India and China, that favor the use of these

gender selection methods (Shekar).

In laymans terms Shekar means that if there is a legitimate medical reason for selecting gender

then it is justified. However using gender selection for societal gains is unethical, and leads to
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problems explained above. A common argument is that this is only happening in the countries

that are already sexist toward females, and that caucasian/hispanic parents are actually more

likely to choose female babies (Gleicher & Barad). Herein lies the major problem. This is still

sexist. In a world were women have, and are, unfairly oppressed the public seems to forget that

sexism is a two way street.

Looking at long term effects in places like China and India, and knowing the methods of

gender selection it is clear that the practice is unethical. The oppositions only argument is based

on the fact that its not wrong if were already doing it. Everyday science pushes the boundaries

of life, but has it crossed the line? If the world fails to regulate, or utterly abolish gender

selection it will fall into disarray. Childbirth should be a natural phenomenon not something

formulated to create the ideal child. An imbalance of either men, or women, would be a disaster.

The world should sometimes leave things alone, this is one of those times.
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WORKS CITED

Dahl, Edgar. "Sex Selection Will Not Lead to Gender Discrimination." Should Parents Be

Allowed to Choose the Sex of Their Children?, Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. 17 May 2011. 3 Mar. 2017.

"Sex Selection Can Lead to Gender Discrimination." Should Parents Be Allowed to Choose the

Sex of Their Children?, Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Greenhaven Press, 2012. At

Issue. 2010. 3 Mar. 2017.

Gleicher, Norbert, and David H. Barad. "Gender Selection Is Ethical." Reproductive Technology,

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. 1 Nov. 2007, 3 Mar.

2017.

Shekar, Preeti. "Gender Selection Can in Some Cases Be Unethical." Reproductive Technology,

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Greenhaven Press, 2005. At Issue. Sept.-Oct. 2007, 3

Mar. 2017.