Sex Selection

Some hereditary diseases such as haemophilia and certain neuro-muscular diseases develop dramatically in the male, whereas the female is not affected at all or she is just a healthy carrier of the disease. These particular diseases are called “ Sex linked diseases”.

If we still do not have the genetic tools (probes) to detect a particular disease, we may use sex selection in order to avoid the birth of an unhealthy child.

Sex selection is obtained by performing a Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) on the embryos grown in vitro and then transferring into the uterus only the female embryos.

Sex selection may also be obtained by a laboratory equipment called “Cell Sorter” which is able to separate the male (Y) spermatozoa from the female (X) spermatozoa and then performing an ICSI.

With PGD the chance of error is very small, whereas with the cell sorter it is higher.

Many countries permit sex selection only for medical reasons, whereas others allow sex selection also for non medical reasons, such as family balancing of the sex of the children. Therefore, embryos of only male gender or only female gender will be transferred, depending on the single case.