What is a Sex Selection?
Sex Selection is a procedure that allows patients to choose the sex of their baby. The selection of the sex of a couple’s baby – also referred to as family balancing – is available to New Hope Fertility NYC patients through PGS/NGS testing in conjunction with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).
How Sex Selection Works
The sex of an embryo is determined by the chromosomes carried by the sperm. A sperm can carry either the X or the Y chromosome. The woman’s egg only contributes the X chromosome to the fertilized embryo. The presence of the Y chromosome in the sperm will create a male baby (XY). Two X chromosomes – one X from the sperm and one X from the egg – will produce a girl baby (XX).
Sex Selection in Conjunction with IVF Procedure
PGS/NGS testing takes place in conjunction with IVF in a controlled laboratory setting. Several days after fertilization of the patient’s eggs in vitro, 3-6 cells are removed from each of the embryos that are at the blastocyst stage.
- 3-6 cells are removed from the embryo by a highly skilled embryologist using a laser and a microscopic glass needle.
- The biopsy removing the cell from the trophectoderm does not damage the ICM, which will develop in a baby.
- The 3-6 cells’ genetic makeup and sex are analyzed by a genetic company with advanced technology.
- A decision is made as to the quality and sex of each of the individual embryos.
- Only high-quality embryos of the desired sex are transferred.
Sex Selection and Future Family Balancing
When multiple quality embryos having different sexes are identified, you have the ability to request which sex is transferred during the fresh IVF cycle. Only one or two quality embryos of the patient’s desired sex are transferred to avoid a multiple pregnancy. Excess embryos can be cryopreserved future Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedures. You will have the ability to select the sex of your baby now and in the future!
What is Family Balancing?
Family Balancing is the act of selecting the sex of an unborn baby depending on the sex of the children in the family. If you are interested in balancing your family through Sex Selection please discuss it with your New Hope Fertility NYC doctor at the time of your initial consultation. Also, read in the news about how more and more women are using IVF to choose the sex of their babies.
Sperm Sorting is not Preferred for Sex Selection
Another technique – Sperm Sorting – is used in the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) industry for the purpose of Sex Selection. The technique of Sperm Sorting is not practiced at New Hope Fertility NYC.
What is Sperm Sorting?
Sperm Sorting is a process that involves separating individual sperm based on their weight. Weights between X and Y bearing sperm are predictably different. Fertility Lab technicians may be able to separate out the desired sperm and combine several with the hope of creating an embryo of a specific sex. This method is not 100 percent accurate and is not practiced at New Hope Fertility Center.