The funny thing is that while sex selection in favour of boys has historically been controversial in countries including India and China, American families seem to prefer girls. Of families adopting internationally, 95 per cent (95 per cent!) say they want a girl, according to Families.com. Of those, 80 per cent end up actually adopting girls.
Is it payback time for the fairer gender?
Maybe, unless the desire for baby girls exists only for adoption. One theory states that families want to adopt girls because they don’t want an adopted child to carry on the family name. Other ideas are that the husband lets the wife pick the gender, or that people think girls are easier to raise.
In any case, it just got a whole lot easier to plan the colour of your nursery. According to a study published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association the test looks to be easier and (if used correctly) more accurate than ultrasound. It also doesn’t carry the small risk of miscarriage that comes with amniocentesis, which is done between 15 and 20 weeks into a pregnancy.
Image: Shutterstock
EckyThump
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 1:25 PM“or that people think girls are easier to raise”
Anybody who has, or has had a teenage girl will no doubt tell you that the years after puberty and before they become adults, they are simply awful human beings! Before puberty, little angels, after they’ve grown into adults, simply lovely! But the years between, just awful! Oh and don’t forget the extra expense, especially the wedding!
olearymo
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:20 PMYou paid for your daughter’s wedding? That doesn’t make her difficult. That, sir, makes you a SUCKER!
No offence. But lolz.
EckyThump
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:31 PMI never said I had a daughter!… my father however, had four boys and one girl. :p
olearymo
Friday, August 12, 2011 at 8:43 AMWell, no offence to him then ;)
EckyThump
Friday, August 12, 2011 at 1:12 PMMeh,.. it’s old news and she was a terror! Heh heh #]
Steve
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 10:01 PMTeenage boys are just as insufferable little shits as teenage girls. The problem is that when these two get together, it’s like mixing fire and gasoline. The difference is that the girl’s family is the one that’ll have to live with the inevitable lovechild.
EckyThump
Friday, August 12, 2011 at 7:41 AM+1 #]
Sean C
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 1:56 PMThis isnt about “sex selection”. Its about knowing which sex the child will be at an earlier time to the current methods used.
After having 3 girls in a row, sex selection would be a wonderful thing as all I want now is a Boy!!
Sean C
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 1:57 PMRe-Reading that last sentence sounds rather creepy…
olearymo
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:19 PMIf I could choose the gender beforehand, I’ve always wanted a girl.
However, I would CERTAINLY not be interested in entertaining the thought of whatever is being suggested seven weeks into pregnancy.
The abortion debate is one thing, but termination because of an undesired gender is just not on.
EckyThump
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:35 PMOn the other hand if India used this method, there would be a lot less killing of baby girls! I’m in no way condoning the practice of gender selection at that stage, but there are situations where it would be more merciful..! #[
Biggy
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 7:16 PMNot really!
More girls means less married boys. And being unmarried in India is a big stigma. Also, less girls would mean boys will start paying dowry to the girls parents sooner or later and then you’ll have parents aborting boys.
The solution is far more complex.
EckyThump
Friday, August 12, 2011 at 7:43 AMI’m just working with the facts! India has a very nasty habit of disappearing baby girls at the moment. Not saying you’re wrong, just saying!! #}
olearymo
Friday, August 12, 2011 at 8:44 AMAgh, yes, all a very unpleasant messy situation. You each have compelling arguments about it. Just so tragic though. Makes me sick.
Jon
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 2:59 PMMost clinics in Australia will perform abortions up till 9 weeks, and some will go as high as 16 or 23 weeks!
This diagnostic advancement is no doubt going to see couples aborting foetus’ of an undesired sex.
Ed
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 3:21 PMIf it gets to that point the law will end up defining that you cannot terminate on the basis of sex unless certain conditions are met.
villainsoft
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 3:27 PMThe day when i can specify the gender of an uncreated child by clicking a checkbox in a webpage cannot come soon enough.
Biggy
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 7:18 PMThat would be rebirth of Eugenics.
EckyThump
Friday, August 12, 2011 at 7:45 AMActually, Eugenics had nothing to do with the sex of children!
olearymo
Friday, August 12, 2011 at 8:45 AMYeah true. Eugenics is about traits, not gender. But I guess Biggy’s statement could be taken to mean that it would *lead* to eugenics. Possible.
shepard
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 8:35 PMI think gender selection (besides adoption ofcourse) is abhorrent.
Personally i thought i wanted a son, but when i found out i was having a girl i was happy.
Appreciate what you have.