Revolutionary foetus sex test raises eugenics fears

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/10/wfoetus10.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/07/10/ixportal.html

Is it a girl or a boy? It's the first question every new mother asks. And the answer can now be given almost from the moment a woman finds out that she is pregnant.

A revolutionary new test launched in the United States this month can tell the sex of an embryo just five weeks after conception. The company behind the test, known as the Baby Gender Mentor, says that it will help couples to decide whether to paint the spare bedroom pink or blue.

But anti-abortion groups fear that the test, in which a single drop of the mother's blood is tested for traces of her baby's DNA, could lead to an increase in abortions by making it easier for parents to end a pregnancy if they want a child of a different sex.

Sex selection is a growing problem in parts of Asia, where a preference for sons is skewing population ratios and leading to Chinese parents killing baby daughters.

[whatever4]

1. I'm so, so bitter

My first thought was, good. Now women can stop having girl children if they want to. The men will fall for it; they all want their sons. I say, let them have them. Endlessly bitter. No reason to put another female on this planet, it's not even fair.

Funny, people are worried about abortions over this, when frequently, it's the man in the equation that pushes for abortions over the sex of the child. Will it be used to prevent baby girls? I sure as hell hope so. Anyone that doesn't want a baby girl, I don't WANT them to have that baby girl. Anyone with the idea of terminating a pregnancy because of the sex, I say, well thankgoodness for that baby it's the "right" sex. Hardly get a fair shake out of life if it isn't. Hardly matters who you are if your gender means so much more, and to those people, it never will.

Let the fools have it. Let them revel in their many, many sons. Yuck it up, have a party, ye ha. Beers all round, the salvation to the world has come!! Cause lord knows, all the problems in this world come from having too many wimpy women, not enough force and violence, not enough male dominance. This new test should fix that right up.

I should not enjoy cruel cultural lessons, but at my age, it's very hard not to. I imagine many reading this post...if anyone does, it's so pathetically bitter...thinks this is extreme, an unrealstic picture. I say...you don't know the heartland of America. I grew up here, and the neocons don't like women. Watch Jay Leno sometime, count how many put-down women jokes he tells. It's typical of fascism, hatred of women.

So I don't know how many girl children might not be born, with this test, maybe nothing statisticaly significant. But I'm very happy for the little girls that won't be born into families that don't want them. Thank god, less suffering all round. Let the men have this world. They want it so badly, so much more than they want women and what women think life should be, so let them have it.

It's what we do. YOU men, in general, want to be in charge. And WE women typically let you. In small ways and large. You got it. Women are evil, sexually tempting and meant to stay covered. Sure. You got it. I'll enjoy the show.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

4. As a man, I find that pretty offensive. Sure, there's some Neanderthals

out there, but you don't need to paint with such a broad brush.

[whatever4]

10. It doesn't matter how many of you are "good"

If enough of you are bad. Sorry you're insulted. I'd wish for the luxary of only being "insulted" by men, in my past, but I never had that luxary, to just be insulted. Lucky you.

And my case, whatever my case may be, is mild and preferable to that of many, many other women I've known. For me, that is enough. Too many other women with dental work, from all the beatings. Too many I've know that have been stalked, by boyfriends. Too many cases of women being sujected to standards and riducule which men never face, but yet, passively accept toward the women in their lives. Just not your problem. But a problem we face every day.

If you believe it matters not, that what was done to so many of us was done exclusively BY men, and comes from MALE attitudes, I don't know what to tell you. Except to say, you are conveniently male, and have no real idea what I'm talking about.

And you never will. Men like you, you feel insulted by these words, but that is where your indignation ends. The fact that I may be speaking about very real, very tangible and very unfair and very violent trends against women, and that the most you can muster is indignation for yourself personally, speaks volumes. Its just...not your problem, and you are happy to leave it that way.

I say, again, it's a good thing, this new test Women weren't meant to fight these battles, and as far as I can see, the fewer that have to, the better. We aren't men. We don't want to be. Many men seem to believe it is our fault we don't deal with the injustice more effectively, more strongly, more violently. They seem to forget, those are things we don't typically do in the first place. Somehow, this is unacceptable...being a woman becomes unacceptable. For that, I say, men don't want women around in the first place then. Just too much trouble, too much whining, too much crying, gee.

No, not your problem, I'm quite sure. And it wouldn't be a problem at all, if women like me didn't bitch about it so much, right? Yeah, that's the problem. If we'd just stop bitching!

Screw over half the human population, and see what good it does. Watch the world fly apart, and wonder why. Yeah, I'm just a wacko idiot. Sure.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. What is this, Sylvia Plath on steroids?

"Issues" is an understatement here.

I hope you can find happiness in a more constructive way than Sylvia did.

[whatever4]

20. Whatever

It sounds nuts, radical feminism, until you're facing the issues. Things I've seen, compared with how it's "supposed to be", there's just no point in going on with it. It's a disconnect, and always easy for those outside a situation to deride the misfortunes of others. To downplay the unfairness they don't face. Unfortunately, it's another way in which the neocons will put down and keep down the people in general.

Just another way in which we are divided as a people.

[bitchkitty]

35. The Prince Charming/Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty syndrome...

I've been thinking about it for a long time - society bears a certain responsibility too and we are half of society. I believe that too many women view men as saviors, knights in shining armor coming to carry us away from our drudgery. Some of us see them as the answer to our low self-esteem. Catching a Man becomes a life goal, and the better the man, the better the boost.

I just love men, warts and all. Some of them are real pricks, like you say - believe me, honey, I know (you ought to meet some of MY relatives, think you had it bad). But I think that no man can live up to the image of Sir Galahad/Daddy and our society puts an impossible burden on both sides by promoting the fairy tale.

If you just write the pricks off (or put them in jail, whichever is feasible) and concentrate on relating to the good guys (and there are a lot of them, especially Democratic good guys! ;)) you can put your bitterness behind you.

[Nay]

42. It's not nuts, Whatever. I have a great relationship with my DH and

grown son, and have many male friends at work, but I have never let it blind me to the way things have been and the way they could be again. It is always wise to remember that women, as a class, have had real freedom in this world for only about 40 years. That is NOTHING in a historical perspective, so it is not weird to understand that our state, even in this country, is as fragile as glass.

The things I have seen have made me forever wary and aware of what men, individually and as a class, are capable of. As someone said below, our mammalian heritage (new male lion in pride kills all the children of the former male in charge) has bad mixed in with good, and to deny this is to refuse to face the problem. I don't think there is a woman in the world who wouldn't like to put some chemical in the water so that, all of a sudden, all men everywhere stopped being so aggressive, sexually obsessive, and just generally so self-involved. It would be a blessing on everyone, including the men who are already pleasant human beings to start with.

[AlwaysQuestion]

48. Poor baby - insulted were you? Tut tut

I don't know how you come across in other posts, but I can tell you that your answer to Whatever strongly suggests to me that you are lacking sensitivity to the plight of half the world's population. In fact your short response delivered nothing but insult and sarcasm. Sad as it is, you merely proved Whatever's point of view. So, while you may claim that not all men are as she painted them, you, yourself, could well be the poster boy for those ignorant, insensitive, and uncaring men which she refers to in her original and subsequent posts.

Yes, there are some great men "out there" but there are still too many of them who like yourself need to be brought into the world of enlightenment. Come out of your cave and soak up some sunshine. You're frightfully pale of heart.

[Triana]

58. conveniently male...

"conveniently male, and have no real idea what I'm talking about"

I hate to say that I understand where you're coming from. I'd never say it or write it on a MB but I will agree with it when someone else writes it. I'm too prissy to write it myself. (not being sarcastic, I'd never write what you did - doesn't mean it doesn't exist or isn't true).

I know many many men who are blissfully and ignorantly male. The get all defensive and self-righteous when we start talking about how women are oppressed, abused and don't have equal rights or opportunities based on MALE perceptions (and some female ones) in this society. They insist that stuff doesn't exist. It's urban legend dontcha know. Why do they say that? Well. Because it doesn't happen to THEM and any women they know don't have those problems (ie: they don't talk about it and/or have learnt to ignore it so it's not a problem/doesn't exist).

Conveniently male, they are. But. Oh. Let's not talk about that. It's taboo. This isn't male-bashing as much as it's truth-telling and the truth is butt-ugly - and insulting to many men who aren't mysogenists themselves but who live and contribute silently to a mysogenist world, blissfully ignorant of all the privileges they have because they never DIDN'T have them - they can't imagine life any other way. Not for themselves, or for anyone else. So therefore any other type of life must not exist. I know a few men like that. "It's all urban legend!" they insist. "My ex-wife has a PhD and she makes more than me!" (don't mention that she makes only 70% what a male with the same background/PhD does though). *cough*

We're too angry. Too angry for what? We're so angry that if we DO something, somethings might change. And we can't have that. So, we're too angry, we're told. Sit down. Shut up. Accept the status quo and quit trying to change it, bitch....

So, I can see the delicious schadenfraude of wishing a men-only world on men. We may all return to our regularly scheduled oblivion now.

;)

[mom cat]

45. Like this one Tom: Man cut off wife's feet

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1616089 Man cut off wife's feet.
Add to this the daily brutality of rape, beatings, sexual slavery, stalkings, murder, female genital mutilation, disfigurement, sexual abuse and harassment,economic discrimination and repeated acts of humiliation, degradation and hatred that women have faced for eons on this planet and you might start to get an inkling why some of us are full of a righteous rage. Are you really ignorant about the plight of women on this planet?

[iamjoy]

5. It Wouldn't Be THAT Bad Here

In China, couples are limited to one child, and want that one child to be a boy to carry on the family name. Here, couples can have as many children as they want. Plus, we value girls at least slightly more than some other cultures. Some couples may want a girl and "choose" to abort a boy. Or, if they want a son, but the first child is a girl, they'll keep her and try again.

That being said, some of the implications of us having the technology to get "made to order" babies (blue eyes, blond hair, tall, etc) is VERY frightening.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

13. In China, the sons are expected to look after their parents

once they get old, which is one reason sons are valued over daughters. Same thing in India.

Intersting that in India, which has no restrictions on the number of children, boys are beginning to outnumber girls, thanks to ultrasounds and abortions. There is starting to be a minor cultural shakeup as families realize that women have more value now.

As for leaving girl babies to die-this was a common practice in ancient Rome and in pre-Islamic Arabia. In fact, Roman law only required that the eldest daughter be raised to adulthood. And before the beloved Prophet, it was not only common to kill girl babies, but to treat women shamefully, promising them marriage only to steal their dowery and then throw them out. The women had no right of property, no rights to their children, no rights in court, no rights of divorce, etc. The Qur'an provided these rights long before women elsewhere had them. I know many say, sure, but it puts down women today. My response is the Qur'an was delivered for the people of that time. Think of it-it was a HUGE step to go from treating women like men's property to giving them the right to life, to own property, to education, etc. And please don't get Wahhabism mixed up with Islam and the Qur'an. Wahhabism wants to push back the clock on women's rights to pre-Islamic times.

[varun]

36. Matrubhoomi - a movie about gender discrimination in India

http://in.movies.yahoo.com/050218/128/2jp5v.html

"...The duality in the treatment and position of women in India has always intrigued me. In a country where women are worshipped as Goddess Kali and Durga, sadly, every year thousands of women fall prey to dowry deaths, rapes and female infanticides. According to an estimate, there are around 50 million women missing from the population of India due to gender discrimination.

The invaluable contribution of women in keeping a society sane and stable and on the other hand emotional and psychological bankruptcy of a society where precariously unbalanced sex ratio has created a morally instable society are the impetus behind the film "Matrubhoomi - A nation without women".

The film explores an India of the future, when women are an increasingly scarce species. Though futuristic, the milieu, the humour, the plot and characters are based in a contemporary set-up in order to highlight the magnitude of the problem and make it more real and imminent than a distantly fairy tale. It underlines how the absence of women inexorably leads to the debasement of men, draining them of all that makes them human.

The film is an ode to the beauty and power of women and the chaos that can ensue due to their physical or emotional absence in a society..."

[iamjoy]

52. Ketubah Dates To Babylonian Era

The ketubah, or Jewish marriage contract has its roots in the Babylonian era (6th century BCE). This document outlines a husband's obligations to his wife and has its roots in Exodus.

[uncertainty1999]

61. Actually - the son's WIFE is expected to look after his parents!

[whatever4]

17. Thing is

What is bad? In society, we're "equal" now, but yet, we aren't.

Don't fool yourself. It can get that bad here. We already have religion in public school. My kids school functions are held at local churches now. Biblical writings are up on the pinup board in the nurses office. Pray meetings at the flag pole are now an annual event; kids that don't participate are free to wait on the bus; they're held early before the start of school. Notices are sent home, printed on school paper. Religion in school.

I remember when I was a little girl, in public school, they used to tell us when we could wear pants, and when it was warm enough to mandate skirts and dresses. Anyone else remember that? I do. I used to get cold. I remember that. Living memory. Not that long ago. When my mother was a young women, bras and girdles, heels and all that was mandatory, at work. You either dressed "appropriately", or you didn't keep your job. Uncomfortable, unhealthy things are EXPECTED from females, overall, and this HAS NOT CHANGED.

Look at society now, and you'd never know we had bra burnings. Look at how much makeup women wear, and all the rest, and you'd never know there was a womens liberation movement. Ever. It's all just "how it's supposed to be".

Yes, it CAN get that bad here. Many living now remember when it was more "bad", and unfortunately quite a few of them want it to return that way. Those were the "good old days". To many, many people, those were the good old days, when women knew their place. They blame many of our current problems on women. Period. Degradation of the family; our fault, and how do you think we're going to pay for that wrong??

Women working out of the home cause "problems". The neocons still say it. When I was a child, and got sick one time, my mother was FIRED for staying home with me. No lie, in the early '70's. I wasn't a sickly kid, and she didn't have issues with missing too much work, but her boss told her if she stayed home with me, she'd be fired. Just because he didn't want her to stay home. It certainly wasn't an option for my Dad. She stayed home. She got fired. There was nothing she could do. Where did she work? Not some hole in the wall; she worked for Chrysler.

Yes, it can indeed get that bad here.

[iamjoy]

51. But Discrimination Here Would Not Equal Genocide

It seems discrimination, or oppression of women here would be by Radical Clerics having their way, meaning abortion wouldn't be an option, not merely to choose the gender of a child, but for any reason (even possibly including the life of the mother). So, the scenario of people using selective abortions based on the embryo's gender is highly unlikely.

[kypper]

23. That was my first thought

My wife and I want one of each... boy and girl. It really doesn't matter who comes first. If the second one turns out to be a second of the same sex though, it would be nice to know.

It's far too painful to go through the abortion process though when you can just select the sex through medical means...

[phylny]

25. So if I'm understanding you right,

if your first child is a boy and the second pregnancy will be a boy, you'd terminate the pregnancy to have a girl?

[ret5hd]

28. yeah, i'm smellin' it too.

[HockeyMom]

24. We have only two - daughters

I remember some family members used to ask us if we were going to try for a boy. My husband got a vasectomy after our second daughter was born. We only wanted two children; didn't mater what their gender was. My husband used to tell them that. He even actually said he preferred DAUGHTERS.

When they were little both of them were real Daddy's Girls.

[phylny]

26. Family with three daughters here.

My husband was DONE at two girls. He had always said he wanted two kids, and that was it.

I had a desire for a third child (not a boy necessarily, just a third child) and he said, "Okay, what the heck!"

All during my pregnancy, people kept asking if we were "trying" for a boy. Uh, no. Just wanted another child.

After she was born, I was out picking up #1 from school and a mother (of two girls, no less) stopped me and said, "Were you very disappointed that she wasn't a boy?" I looked her dead straight in the eye and said, "Yeah, we're devastated. We're putting her up for adoption and trying again until we get it right." The look on her face when I walked away was priceless.

Even now, I get comments, "Oh, my god! Three teenaged girls! How can you stand it???" I sweetly reply, "Our lives with them are so wonderful, we cannot imagine it any other way."

Three healthy, great kids. How does it get better than this?

BTW, my license plate reads: 3GR8GRLZ :)

[tenshi816]

34. "3GR8GRLZ" - so sweet, I love that!!! n/t

[shanti]

47. how about FOUR boys!?

which is what i got. even changing husbands for the fourth one (lol) still got me another son. i desperately wanted that girl too....oh well. i have no grandchildren - yet.

btw, my sister got four sons too....and now has two granddaughters!

[tenshi816]

31. I always find it odd when people

ask things like that: "Are you going to try for a boy (or girl)?".

Is there a different way of doing it that I never knew about? I thought I knew how it worked (and I got the full set, both flavors!), but maybe I missed something. :shrug: I didn't know there was a way to "try" for a baby of one sex or the other (fun practicing though ;-)).

[Dulcinea]

53. Same here.

2 daughters, & we're done.

I'm one of 3 daughters myself, so I'm puzzled & offended when people ask me, "Aren't you going to try for a boy?" I hate that--it's so sexist! As if our beautiful, smart, healthy girls are somehow not good enough!

And, my older one is Daddy's Girl all the way!

I knew both were girls in advance. Amnio both times due to "advanced maternal age." Another crock! I had fewer problems at 36 & 38 than a lot of younger women I know.

[Ilsa]

30. I agree with Tom. There are plenty of men, like my great husband,

who would love to have a sweet baby daughter.

[Grey]

40. I one hundred percent agree

with Whatever4. I voted this thread for 'greatest' just now because it is so good to hear the truth now and again. I am also sure that they only treat Ms. Plame with such scant regard because of her being 'female'. I really did think, growing up, that Treason is Treason, silly me. Bravo, Whatever4, keep speaking truth, We need to hear it.

[femrap]

60. More Truth, Please

I agree with Grey....go Whatever4....the Truth is nice to hear for a change.

I also like to hear Women's Anger every now and then as well....don't you think our society disallows our anger? So since we can't display it, we end up turning it inward...which results in depression...no wonder women suffer from depression more than men...

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Well, that's one sure way that the right to abortion will be preserved.

Sex-selection and genetics testing to ensure that couples get the baby they want instead of what "God" wants.

[China_cat]

3. What a bonanza in future generations

for those girl babies who are permitted to come to term when there is only 1 female for every 5 to 6 males (or more) and she's the one who can take her pick; when she's the one who will have the final say on just about everything if ANY male ever wants to get laid.

[Glorfindel]

7. *ahem* ANY male?

Not all of us males want to get laid by women, thank you very much. And VERY many of us who don't want to get laid by women actually love and treasure their women friends.
:hi:

[China_cat]

9. Well, I guess I should have qualified that.

But, you know, it might make it even harder for homosexual men to be accepted as valid members of society than it is today...and that's saying something.

[Gay Green]

15. And god forbid that scientists come up with a prenatal test

for sexual orientation. That will mean four or more generations of gay men not even being allowed to exist.

:scared:

[whatever4]

18. And I have to agree

I have to agree, the same mindset that wants to keep women "in their place" would also embrace the ability to eliminate homosexuality altogether.

They really are monsters that way. Most of them, they wouldn't even disagree with what I said. They view homosexuality as something "wrong". So endlessly sick, these folks. These folks in charge. God I hate this...endless stupidity. With all the other problems in our world, global warming and oil reserves shrinking, these social injustices don't help at all. Not at all.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. and we women friends treasure you!

The gay men in my life have lovely spirits and appreciate women as people.

[KitSileya]

8. That's not how it'll be.

Already there's a thriving kidnapping trade in countries bordering on China - they're kidnapping women across the borders to be the wives of China's child emperors. There's a huge surplus of men in China already, and instead of your scenario, they'd rather kidnap women and keep them as wives(sex slaves.)

[China_cat]

11. That's not how it is now

because the numbers are still much closer than they will be in 20-30 years. Things always get worse before they get better.

[whatever4]

12. Yes

Being the minority is ALWAYS a benifit. There won't be any selling of female persons, there wont' be any traffic in female bodies, there won't be any stealing of women...no wait, we already have those things

[China_cat]

19. The thing is

when the scarcity of women is world wide, countries will fight to keep what assets they have...their women and girls. That isn't going to happen until the shortage is global.

[whatever4]

21. The other thing is

as an asset, as a resource, we are CATTLE. And that's just the way they want it. These neocon monsters don't even believe in contraception. The underlying goal of ALL antiabortion forces is to eliminate contraception. And that's just one issue facing women, just one. Not the largest issue either. We are CATTLE to these people, and the more women fall for the lies, the worst it will be for us. Personally, I think it's already too late, and am so thankful I have no daughters. In the wrong state, she'd have no morning-after pill, in cases of date rape. Or, just being in the "wrong place" at the wrong time. Like, walking out of a store alone at night. Like, picking the wrong boyfriend. I wouldn't know what to tell her, if a professor ever came on to her, and spread rumors about her if she wasn't "friendly" enough back. I wouldn't know how to advice her, and I don't think I could take the pain of what might happen to her, in this ugly world. Men, they think this is extreme. As if so much of what happens to us frequently, commonly, so average we don't even bother TALKING about it anymore it's so humdrum...they think it's extreme to complain. Sad. Neverending. So glad I have no daughters. Probably better for the rest of you too.

People think because the violence and injustice is common, somehow we're handling it better. And they look for no other measure than their tv sets.

[Boomer]

32. Speaking truth to power is never welcomed

>> As if so much of what happens to us frequently, commonly, so average we don't even bother TALKING about it anymore it's so humdrum...they think it's extreme to complain. <<

Ironic, isn't it, that men can get so defensive and indignant about "broad generalizations", while the horrors you describe continue without raising any indignation at all.

Not every man is responsible for violence, but violence and sexual aggression is largely a male "issue". If any single minority group was as overwhelmingly responsible for rapes, murders, beatings, and child sexual abuse as are males, that group would be locked up or lynched. But it's almost taboo to state the obvious: the male of the species is agressive and violent and a danger to females and children.

We can watch a nature film about gorilla males killing all the infants in a troop or adolescent male dolphins raping a female dolphin without a qualm, but shift the focus to homo sapiens and the screaming starts.

Acknowledging our mammalian heritage is the first step toward moving away from biochemically-driven behavior. If we don't even admit we have a problem in the first place, if somehow humans are supposed to be "above" millions of years of conditioning, then we will never be able to alter our responses.

[Nay]

39. Well, except she probably wouldn't get to have her pick of men.

In such a male-dominated world, she would probably be assigned as a sex slave to a pod of 5 men, and would be pregnant all the time.

[booksenkatz]

6. I'm an older mom who hangs around lots of younger, pregnant moms

(at least most of them seem to be pregnant at any given time.) And it seems to me that the trend lately is that they all "want to be surprised!" Surrounded by all of this technology, but they all seem to feel that it's sweet to be surprised on the big day. Interesting. It could be that they've heard too many tales about incorrect sex identification through the ultrasound process, so they figure, why bother...?
:shrug:

[athenap]

22. Birth movements...

Among upper middle class women, there seems to be a movement away from the traditional technologically-managed pregnancy and birth that has been prevalent for the past 30-50 years. Women are choosing midwives, homebirths, and a non-interventionist approach to pregnancy and birth, and many are citing a desire to return to the empowerment of the childbirth process as at least one reason to make these choices.

--athenap, who was pleasantly surprised by her daughter 7 weeks ago, and is teaching both her daughter and her son how to respect women, because changing minds and hearts begins one at a time.

[PassingFair]

43. Congratulations, athenap!

I have two beloved girls myself.
Wouldn't trade them for anything!

[phylny]

27. Even way back when (19, 16, and 13 years ago) we could have

known and there's no way we wanted to know. We loved the surprise. Heck, it was the only thing keeping me going at points during the three horrendous deliveries!

During my last delivery, as the baby's head and shoulders were out, the nurse said, "Wow! LOOK at those shoulders. He's going to be a great football player!" After the rest of her came out, she revised her statement saying, "Well, girls can play football, too."

She wasn't really all that off the mark. The girl plays a mean game of fútbol!

[shrike]

29. my sis and her husband opted not to know

They said it was like opening up your Christmas present early.

They have three girls, BTW

[Straight Shooter]

33. Silly article, what to paint the bedroom. Many parents choose not to know

Even now with ultrasound, when they can learn the gender, there are plenty of parents who simply don't want to know in advance.

My parents had 3 boys and then me. People would say, "Oh, you kept trying until you had a girl." Their response was, "No, we wanted 4 children."

Would not have mattered if I had been a boy, they would have been happy with that. As it is, they got a tomboy. What do you expect, with 3 older brothers? :)

[fasttense]

37. I had some very serious problems with my last childbirth

and they had to do all these tests. The doctor asked if I wanted to get the sex of the baby determined. I told him I already knew it was a girl. It was.

I knew my first was a boy, even though the ultra sound specialist said it would be a girl. I did his room in blue before he was born. I can not tell you how I knew. I just felt it in my heart. I was right both times.

I think a lot of mothers know but don't say anything for fear of sounding crazy.

[NickB79]

38. What about all the fathers who want a baby girl?

Why is it automatically assumed that the female fetus would be aborted more often than a male fetus? Yes, it happens in China commonly, but that is more to do with cultural issues that are generally not as prevalent here in the US (the one child taking care of their parents when elderly, for example). When my girlfriend and I get married and begin considering children, I would personally prefer a daughter to a son if I had to choose.

[Grey]

41. What about them?

It's not about you (men) Why don't Guys get it? It's not always all about them. What about in 20 or 30 years when there are very few 'girlfriends' to marry?

[anitar1]

44. As I see it, having been around for a long time, governments

will want more males for cannon fodder , as wars will go on. It will take awhile for them to get the big picture.

[really annoyed]

46. I was suppose to be "the boy."

Gee, too bad this technology wasn't around in the early 80's! I could be dead. For 23 years, I have been constantly apologizing to my dad for not having a penis.

Sex selection is WRONG, PERIOD. And I'm horrified that people here on DU are supporting it.

[JVS]

49. This could greatly help the Chinese goal of population control

It would work well on two levels. First of all, the attempts to have a son will not lead to so many second children. Also, a few decades down the road with a population greatly skewed toward males, there will be less women of reproductive age around and birthrate should fall greatly. It also would prevent infanticide by letting parents make the selection before the child is born.

[RaRa]

50. Well, I'm intrigued

Since I'm hoping to get pregnant in a few months and due to my age will be high risk, I like the idea of having the option to find out about Downe's early on. Maybe I can even avoid the amnio. Knowing the gender too is just gravy.

[Lilith Velkor]

54. Good point. n/t

[Mabel Dodge]

55. Thanks whatever4 !

You are speaking the truth. Our male dominated world is a pain in the ass. In the best of situations it holds us back, and in the worst it's lethal to women. I don't hate men, but I do hate what they have created. On a large scale they seem so incapable of creating anything but trouble.

I've been happily married with for 25 years, but thank God no kids. I knew when I was 20 this world was too screwed up for me to bring children into it. Everyday that goes by confirms for me the wisdom of my decision.

[lumberjack_jeff]

56. There's little evidence that US parents would choose boys over girls.

http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/050323_gender_selection.html

[Seabiscuit]

57. This is a thread which will hopefully sink to the bottom of the pile soon

[alittlelark]

59. I had NO interest in the sex of my 2 kids....

all I knew was that they were sucking life out of me - and that I got really big. I was happy to let them come out as they were meant to.... fortunately they were happy and healthy.... aside from my son's colic (kill me now)... but we muddled through it.

[rebecca_herman]

62. In this country, it could go either way anyway

There are probably just as many parents here who prefer daughters, as those that prefer sons. I recall reading in an article that most couples using medical sex selection were trying for a girl. They weren't sure if it was because the success rates for sperm sorting for a girl are higher than for a boy, and thus more couples who wanted girls were willing to spend the money for that chance, or if it was because they thought that if women had a preference, it was more likely to be for a girl, and it was the women pushing the husbands to go along with the sex selection. So who knows? But in any case, I don't think this would cause a gender inbalance even it did cause abortions. Honestly, if parents want the test, I think it's their right to have it. When I get pregnant some day, if it's been shown by then to be accurate, I might have it out of curiosity -I am very impatient and would want to know what I was having.

[Pert_UK]

63. Great name for a band, though..."Revolutionary Foetus Sex Test"

:evilgrin: