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Assisted Sex Selection

Proven Ways to Choose Your Baby's Gender

By Virginia Gilbert

Women no longer have to rely solely on the serendipitous meeting of egg and sperm to get the son or daughter they've always wanted. Strides in reproductive science have revolutionized human conception, giving us more choices and control than our grandmothers ever imagined. Now, for example, a woman with the time, money and inclination can boost her odds of conceiving a daughter by a staggering 92 percent.

But having more options can complicate life. Besides analyzing information on various high-tech gender selection methods, a woman must decide if she and her family can handle the accompanying financial and psychological stress – especially if they end up not getting the gender they want. The following "tour" through the new world of assisted sex selection is intended to guide women considering the process so they can make the choice that's right for them.

Many fertility specialists, or reproductive endocrinologists (REs), perform sperm-spinning at their clinics. The Reproductive Specialty Center is one such clinic.

Founded in 1995 by Dr. Beth Ary, reproductive endocrinologist, the center's simplest and least expensive technique involves washing the sperm, tagging the X-bearing (girl) or Y-bearing (boy) specimens, then timing insemination according to which gender is desired. At a cost of several hundred dollars per attempt, this method yields a 60 percent chance of getting a boy and a 65 percent chance of getting a girl.

*Anne Kent, a 38-year-old mother to four sons, got her long-awaited little girl with the help of an RE. She was inseminated with her husband's separated sperm. And although the procedure was relatively simple as far as high-tech gender selection goes, her first two attempts ended in miscarriage.