Science

New Test Raises Ethical Questions About Prenatal Gender Testing

It used to be that pregnancy gurus (a.k.a. grandmas at a baby shower) would analyze how high the mother’s pregnant belly was to guess if it were a boy or girl, or they would take a ring on a string and see which way it spun. New research shows that a simple blood test can answer this question with surprising accuracy at about seven weeks.

Though not widely offered by U.S. doctors, gender-detecting blood tests have been sold online to consumers for the past few years. Their promises of early and accurate results prompted genetics researchers to take a closer look.

Researchers analyzed 57 published studies of gender testing done in rigorous research or academic settings — though not necessarily the same methods or conditions used by direct-to-consumer firms.

The results suggest blood tests could be a breakthrough for women at risk of having babies with certain diseases. But the study also raises concerns about couples using such tests for gender selection and abortion.

Fox News reports that medical specialists have split opinions on the issue when it comes to the ethical uses of the test as well as its accuracy due to the variability of testing conditions:

Senior author Dr. Diana Bianchi, a reproductive geneticist and executive director of the Mother Infant Research Institute at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, called the results impressive. She noted that doctors in Great Britain are already using such testing for couples at risk of having children with hemophilia or other sex-linked diseases, partly to help guide treatment decisions.

The research indicates that many laboratories have had success with the test, but the results can’t be generalized to all labs because testing conditions can vary substantially, said Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, a genetics professor at Florida International University. He was not involved in the study.

Dr. Lee Shulman, chief of clinical genetics at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, said the testing “isn’t ready for prime time.”

He said his hospital doesn’t provide the blood tests, and doesn’t offer more conventional techniques, including amniocentesis, to women who have no medical reason for wanting to know their baby’s gender.

“I would have a lot of difficulties offering such a test just for gender identification. Gender is not an abnormality,” Shulman said. “My concern is this is ultimately going to be available in malls or shopping centers,“ similar to companies offering ”cute” prenatal ultrasound images.

Fox News also reports that gender tests could be increasing the number of abortions in countries like India and China where having a girl is not preferable. In the United States reasons for abortions remain unclear:

There’s very little data on reasons for U.S. abortions or whether gender preferences or gender-detection methods play a role, said Susannah Baruch, a policy consultant for the Generations Ahead, an advocacy group that studies genetic techniques and gender issues.

The study, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted with researchers using PCR to detect Y chromosome sequences and testing was most accurate after 20 weeks of gestation. Testing for gender before seven weeks was not accurate. Testing the mother’s blood for traces of fetal DNA could be an alternative to more invasive gender testing procedures like amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Comments (16)

  • NuffSaid
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 3:51pm

    What’s the hub bub? Afraid female fetuses will be aborted? Why is it everyone wants a masculine child until it turns 18?

    Report Post »  
  • The Third Archon
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 1:51pm

    “Fox News also reports that gender tests could be increasing the number of abortions in countries like India and China…”
    Something that can only be seen as a good thing in two countries with populations over 1 billion.

    Report Post » The Third Archon  
  • Servant Of YHVH
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 1:45pm

    “She noted that doctors in Great Britain are already using such testing for couples at risk of having children with hemophilia or other sex-linked diseases, partly to help guide treatment decisions.”
    Perhaps if they are that fearful about having children with these problems then they should either “have themselves fixed” or totally abstain from sex to keep from having these children. When children are born (and even before), they become the most special of all people. Anyone that goes around getting pregnant and then aborting them or doing other things to the fetus or the baby either needs to be taught respect for life and especially babies or prevented from ever being able to get pregnant.

    Report Post » Servant Of YHVH  
    • The Third Archon
      Posted on August 10, 2011 at 1:54pm

      “either needs to be taught respect for life and especially babies or prevented from ever being able to get pregnant.”
      You know, we sterilized segments of the poor in the middle of the twentieth century. Your proposal would amount to basically the same thing.

      Report Post » The Third Archon  
    • Bro. Chuck
      Posted on August 10, 2011 at 5:56pm

      @ ServantofYahWeh

      Something ghastly about that term…
      ” partly to help guide treatment decisions.”

      um,
      what treatment decision needs to be made?
      the baby has aids because one of the parents did too?
      or maybe hemophilia?
      are either of those worthy of a death sentance?

      Because SOCIETY allows it, therefore those parents can decide its too much a bother?
      an inconvenience?
      Or just let the Govt. decide… that way people can just say,
      “hey, the Govt. said I hade to….”
      or “the Govt. made me do it to keep my entitlements…..”

      its legal -
      abort…
      end of discussion.
      no problem….
      everybody does it….
      God wouldn’t want the baby to suffer if we have the technology to prevent it (abortion)….

      What other insane excuses do people use out there?

      I bet most still sleep just as uncomfortably…..

      So now, being a girl when a boy was desired will be a “condition”, no?
      better pull out that “treatment decision” handbook….
      I think I saw it on page 1856 of Obammy’s guide to cheeper Health Care….
      “when in doubt…. PUSH THE ABORTION OPTION!”

      May our Creator YahWeh have Mercy on us all -

      Father, forgive us …..

      Report Post »  
    • Bro. Chuck
      Posted on August 10, 2011 at 6:10pm

      @ Third Archon….

      but I bet?

      if the Govt. sold it the right way…
      here’s an extra $100 in your monthly check…..
      the population that only see’s that entitlement needle would jump in line in a heartbeat to get their “fix”…
      hey, I bet if you started in 6th grade and had the teachers start the mantra…
      Sex is more fun when you KNOW you can’t pop out no babies….
      soon the drugs will be out to cure alllllll the diseases anyways….
      Obammy’s Health Care Welfare program will even pay the expense….
      page 1666 – free reproductive health care for all!
      and as an introductory offer, they will even put $100.00 in your bank…
      and give you a free cell phone…
      Just get snipped & tied & go have fun!
      (but it wouldn’t really be a Govt. program unless you added some icing, like…
      “oh, of course – its TOTALLY reversable…..”

      How many would jump on that?

      Our Society has turned course and is racing towards the cliff…..

      God help us all……

      Report Post »  
  • swimmer1940
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 11:00am

    There is already a worldwide war on infant females. This test makes it even simpler for would be parents to choose the gender of a child by aborting the fetus should it be not of their choosing. Males are universally preferred, and the female population has dwindled to dangerous levels in some countries. This, in turn, has led to a severe shortage of wives, leaving many young males, lacking family duties, to get themselves into mischief, thus destabilizing the affected countries. Such destabilization inevitably leads to wars, kidnapping of other men’s wives, black markets for existing female children, etc. Name the horror and you will find it.

    Report Post »  
  • Attention2Detail
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 10:40am

    What kind of world do we live in when the ethical problem here is abortion based on the sex of the baby and not abortion period? How do you come to a place where you say that any reason for killing your baby is valid except, “I don’t want another girl.”? Don’t get me wrong, I think that it would be wrong to abort a baby because ot the sex, but then I understand that abortion is wrong for any reason, and call me crazy, but I think that murder is a little worse than sex discrimination.

    Report Post » Attention2Detail  
    • The Third Archon
      Posted on August 10, 2011 at 1:56pm

      Unfortunately for you, no legal code has ever existed for which abortion fulfills the requirements to be charged with Murder 1, 2, 3, or any related charge (like manslaughter) really. So really, it’s just your opinion that abortion is murder…

      Report Post » The Third Archon  
    • Brannigans Law
      Posted on August 10, 2011 at 6:25pm

      @ The Third Archon

      Unfortunately for you, you employed two logical fallacies. 1. Ignorance fallacy – assuming that a claim is invalid because it has not been proven true or cannot be proven true. In other words, because no one can prove abortion should be classified as murder it can’t be murder. Incidentally, your logic also basic scientific method which does not prove truth; only the falsehood of a hypothesis (a criterion not met by the ignorance fallacy). 2. Argumentum ad populum (on a historical basis here) – the premise is false because no other society, to your knowledge, codified abortion as murder. In other words, it has “never” been valid before and therefore it can’t be valid now. This also ignores the fact that our historical knowledge of societies and their codified laws is certainly woefully incomplete (Perhaps you’ve found some Incan Khipu no one else is aware of…). So really, it’s just your opinion that “attention2detail” shouldn’t hold a personal belief that abortion is the same as murder.

      Report Post » Brannigans Law  
  • Jack2011
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 10:30am

    This is no one’s business but the family. PERIOD.

    No harm – no foul. If a place like China or even the USA aborts too many females because they want only males or mostly sons and never get around to having daughters, then women will be more valued because of their scarcity.

    Another silver lining is the planet’s population will go down. Fewer women mean fewer babies.

    What is disgusting is MIXING the DNA of humans and animals or making dogs glow in the dark and some of the other articles I have read on The Blaze, Big Government, etc.

    Report Post »  
  • nysparkie
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 10:14am

    I don’t give birth. That is was my Wife’s area of expertise. I only help her along the way 9 months before. I couldn’t care less if it was a little girl or a bouncy baby boy. As long as everyone is healthy. God blessed me with two healthy children and a wonderful wife. But he gave me a CRAPPY PRESIDENT just to keep me grounded.

    Report Post » nysparkie  
  • dcwu
    Posted on August 10, 2011 at 10:10am

    Hey folks, when it’s male or female, that’s its SEX. When its masculine, feminine, or neuter, that’s its GENDER. That supreme court justicess that screwed this up is just plain WRONG.

    Report Post »  
    • Attention2Detail
      Posted on August 10, 2011 at 10:32am

      No, actually male and female are genders and because of the misuse in the last 50 years of the word sex, gender is a more precise term.

      Report Post » Attention2Detail  

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love