Bellevue fertility clinic under fire for gender selection advertisement
Apr 19, 2012, 9:09 AM | Updated: 10:24 am
A fertility clinic in Bellevue is running an ad in a
Canadian newspaper reading, ‘Families can choose if they
want to have a boy or a girl.’
While the offer may seem attractive to couples ready to
start a family, it raises a lot questions not only about
the
clinic’s methods, but also ethics.
Dr. James Kustin, with Washington Center for Reproductive
Medicine in Bellevue, told KING-5 they’re not doing
anything
illegal and would not offer any more comment.
According to the clinic’s website:
There are several gender selection methods available to
select sperm that will produce either a boy or a girl,
however; these gender selection methods are only
marginally
successful. Our clinic has chosen to offer preimplantation
genetic diagnosis (PGD), as it is extremely reliable in
selecting an embryo of known gender facilitating family
balancing.
In an IVF cycle, an embryo biopsy is performed on the
third day (eight cell stage). The biopsy does not damage
the embryo or hinder further development.
Using preimplantation genetic diagnosis for gender
selection, the genetic material is amplified using the
polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which makes several
identical copies of the DNA. Fluorescent probes that are
specific to the X and Y chromosomes are then employed and
XX (female) and XY (male) embryos are readily
identifiable. Testing for some chromosome abnormalities,
such as Down’s Syndrome, is available as a part of this
process at no extra charge.
On the fifth day the selected embryos (now blastocysts)
are placed into the uterine cavity resulting in a very
high rate of success with conception of a fetus of the
selected gender.
PGD is the only means to virtually “guarantee” successful
gender selection.
