Being Able to Choose the Sex of Your Child

Jewel Nicole:

I've done some reading online; when you fill out adoption forms you can specify that you're only interested in a boy or a girl; it usually means a longer wait but they can still allow you to adopt the preferred gender. There are some agencies that don't allow you to choose the gender, but there are some that will. So, it's a possibility.

Ahh, okay. Hmmm cme to think of it, that maye have been the case here in Australia. But, we didn't have a preference.

choosing the sex of your child (genetic manipulation) can and probably will stem more research in choosing the genetic material for a "perfect" baby.

After this, people born naturally will become the less priorities as the perfect people are more capable of their jobs and more efficient. There was a movie about this.. its called Gattaca.

zazoo:

choosing the sex of your child (genetic manipulation) can and probably will stem more research in choosing the genetic material for a "perfect" baby.

After this, people born naturally will become the less priorities as the perfect people are more capable of their jobs and more efficient. There was a movie about this.. its called Gattaca.

I've seen this movie, it was really interesting. It still doesn't change my mind on the subject though, I think people should be able to choose if they want to and if they don't want to then they don't have to.

zazoo:

choosing the sex of your child (genetic manipulation) can and probably will stem more research in choosing the genetic material for a "perfect" baby.

After this, people born naturally will become the less priorities as the perfect people are more capable of their jobs and more efficient. There was a movie about this.. its called Gattaca.

Actually choosing the sex is something that's plausible, but then genetically altering a person so they're a good lawyer or whatever isn't. That's not scientifically plausible because exactly what would make a good lawyer. [Just an example].

the mice endure:

zazoo:

choosing the sex of your child (genetic manipulation) can and probably will stem more research in choosing the genetic material for a "perfect" baby.

After this, people born naturally will become the less priorities as the perfect people are more capable of their jobs and more efficient. There was a movie about this.. its called Gattaca.

Actually choosing the sex is something that's plausible, but then genetically altering a person so they're a good lawyer or whatever isn't. That's not scientifically plausible because exactly what would make a good lawyer. [Just an example].

It's genetically plausible to make somebody have blond hair, blue eyes and long legs, though.

zazoo:

choosing the sex of your child (genetic manipulation) can and probably will stem more research in choosing the genetic material for a "perfect" baby.

What if, for example, you were carrying a gene for a disease that would only affect your child of a certain sex? [Hemophilia or Hodgkinson's disease, for example.] Then would you consider it all right so spare your child having that disease?

druryden.:

zazoo:

choosing the sex of your child (genetic manipulation) can and probably will stem more research in choosing the genetic material for a "perfect" baby.

What if, for example, you were carrying a gene for a disease that would only affect your child of a certain sex? [Hemophilia or Hodgkinson's disease, for example.] Then would you consider it all right so spare your child having that disease?

To my knowledge, a defective gene would be passed on to children of both sexes anyway, but girls would be most probably be asymptomatic - which would mean that the girl/woman wouldn't be able to have children of her own without the risk of hemophilia (for example) either unless they use this expensive technique again and only have girls. To me it doesn't feel like a viable solution to genetic disorders of this kind.

kafka.:

It's genetically plausible to make somebody have blond hair, blue eyes and long legs, though.

Yes, but not to make them a good lawyer, that's what I got from the previous post I was responding to, that they were suggesting you could 'design' people who would become really efficient at certain careers. Which at least for the moment, isn't possible.

There's no gene for being a good doctor, or a good lawyer, or a good garbologist.

I haven't any problem with it as long as it wouldn't harm the baby/

the mice endure:

Yes, but not to make them a good lawyer, that's what I got from the previous post I was responding to, that they were suggesting you could 'design' people who would become really efficient at certain careers. Which at least for the moment, isn't possible.

There's no gene for being a good doctor, or a good lawyer, or a good garbologist.

Having blond hair, blue eyes and long legs (or whatever, being beautiful) would make it easier for somebody to be a good model and modeling is a career too.

kafka.:

Having blond hair, blue eyes and long legs (or whatever, being beautiful) would make it easier for somebody to be a good model and modeling is a career too.

That's just stereotyping though. The best models out of Australia aren't blonde with blue eyes, might I just add.

kafka.:

Having blond hair, blue eyes and long legs (or whatever, being beautiful) would make it easier for somebody to be a good model and modeling is a career too.

There's no guarantee that the kid is going to grow up to be a model. I don't understand why parents would try and pick certain features for their children in order to shunt them into different careers. At the end of the day, most people eventually pick what they want to do by themselves (in theory...).

I'm not for it.

DarkestStorm:

I'm not for it.

How come?

DarkestStorm:

I'm not for it.

Just a note: When posting in a discussion thread, it's helpful to post more than just a single statement that doesn't really add to the discussion.

So, as Jewel Nicole asked, how come?

I don't really care what gender my child is. But on the other hand, I am for progress and I love it when scientists discover new ways of... Well, doing whatever. Of course, I'm not a Nazi, I know where the line is. I just love how advanced medicine and science are these days.
I don't really see how one would make a 'perfect' baby though, because, how one turns out is more a question of upbringing, not genetics (of course, there are cases, diseases, and genetic mutation that might affect one's behavior and thought procession). Even if one is blond, tall and hot (however that being perfection is debatable because for instance, brunettes with green eyes are also pretty desirable (especially considering that green is the rarest eye-color, and it is in fact a result of a mutation of the recessive "blue eye" gene, and green eyes are also the only eyes that change colors (tones) depending on the weather and mood)) doesn't really mean one would make it in modeling industry. Never been a model but I'm pretty sure it's exhausting. So again, I believe it's more to upbringing than genetics. But I do have to agree that Scandinavian people do have a dash of perfection to them. But also do British lol

^Perfection is subjective, though as your post has proven ;).

Also, blue eyes change with weather and mood too. But then again if what you say about green eyes being a mutation of the recessive blue eye genes is true, then I guess that makes sense. I also believe hazel eyes do as well...but then I don't know much about eye colour genetics.

I'm not for it, just because in countries like China and India, where a girl is not wanted in many households, there will end up being like millions and millions of boys being born and a handful of girls.

There's a natural balance right now, and I think choosing the sex could ruin that and cause a lot of problems. We'll have more boys, more blonde, blue eyed children.

If it's to avoid the baby recieving some sort of genetic problem or mutation then I can understand. But I don't condone 'oh well, I've got a boy already, I'll have a girl please'. It's not like choosing a Barbie.

I would love to have a daughter, but being able to choose the sex of your child is a risky thing. I hear that it can go horribly wrong and cause disorders in the fetus/child.

I'm not sure I understand how this would even work...

From what I've learned in all my biology classes, gender works like this (this being a very over-simplified version): all human beings with normal sex chromosomes have either XY (male) or XX (female). Children automatically get one X from their mother, and during spermatogenesis the sex cells divide into sperm either carrying an X or Y chromosome. The meeting of the X egg cell and the either X or Y sperm cell determines the gender of the child.

Where in this process does the decision come in?