Gender and Genetic Selection

By Matthew Spinks
(http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/08/video.wall.gender.baby/index.html)

Posted today on CNN.com was an article concerning a new technique of in vitro fertilization known as PGD. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) was originally developed two decades ago to allow embryos to be tested for genetic disease and It requires parents to use in vitro fertilization, where eggs are fertilized outside the womb. With PGD, the embryos are tested for genetic disorders and only those that are free of disease are transferred to the mother's uterus. It means that parents who carry genetic defects can ensure they don't pass on a genetic illness to their children. PGD also can also be used to allow people undergoing in-vitro fertilization to select the gender of the embryo implanted in the mother's uterus. Using PGD for gender selection is banned in most countries, but it is legal in the U.S., where the procedure costs around $18,000, including in-vitro fertilization. Los Angeles fertility expert Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg uses PGD for gender selection. He told CNN's Vital Signs program that many of his American clients already have children of one gender and are trying to achieve "family balancing."He added that 70 percent of his patients are from countries where the procedure is banned.
Critics question the ethics of gender selection, and some argue that it could lead to a gender imbalance, particularly in societies with a traditional preference for boys
This is an important issue of social control because it is in cases like this where power comes into control, as well as the control of the lower classes who do not have the availability of this procedure. When children are disease free, or have a genetic edge over others, it enhances the already present tension between the poor and the rich. Although it may prove fruitful to countries with a high demand for males, in our own society, there is already enough inequality that this issue will most likely lead to further legislation, regardless of the benefits of pursing research in this field.