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Preimplantation sex selection demand and preferences among infertility patients in Midwestern United States

  • Assisted Reproduction
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

To determine the demand and preferences of infertility patients for sex selection for nonmedical reasons, and to investigate the relation between these choices and their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.

Methods

A cross-sectional, self-administered survey by mail was conducted at a University hospital-based fertility center of 1,350 consecutive women who presented for infertility care, to assess patient demand and preferences for sex selection.

Results

Of respondents, 49% wanted to select the sex of their next child for no added cost. Of these patients, 56% had no living children and 37% had children all of one sex. After adjustment for observed predictors of gender preference, we found a significant preference for a female child among women who had only sons, had more living children, or were single. Nulliparous women did not significantly prefer one sex over the other. Among parous women, those with only daughters significantly desired to select a male child, whereas those with sons significantly desired to select a female child.

Conclusion

There is significant demand among infertility patients for preimplantation sex selection, with a significant portion of this demand coming from patients who do not have any children or have children all of one sex.

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Acknowledgement

We thank Neelima Sharma, MD for her assistance with data collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Stacey A. Missmer

  2. Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Stacey A. Missmer

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Stacey A. Missmer

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Tarun Jain

  5. Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of Illinois at Chicago, 820 South Wood Street, M/C 808, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Tarun Jain

Authors
  1. Stacey A. Missmer
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  2. Tarun Jain
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tarun Jain.

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Financial support: none

Conflict of interest: none

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Missmer, S.A., Jain, T. Preimplantation sex selection demand and preferences among infertility patients in Midwestern United States. J Assist Reprod Genet 24, 451–457 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-007-9157-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-007-9157-2

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