Gender Selection News : UK (United Kingdom)

'The Family Man' TV drama addresses gender selection

Maureen — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 11:00:00 GMT

Trevor Eve
"The Family Man"

An upcoming 3-part miniseries on UK television features a fertility expert facing ethical dilemmas in the world of IVF. One story line concerns parents of 3 daughters, who are devastated after the death of their son and want to use sex selection to conceive a boy -- against the law.

The story comes direct from the UK headlines. The Mastersons had four sons and one daughter, who died tragically as a toddler in a bonfire accident. The Mastersons unsuccessfully battled the UK government to be allowed to use sex selection to have a girl. Finally, the couple went abroad for several attempts with IVF/PGD, but failed to become pregnant. At last, they were forced to give up their dream of having daughter in their family once more. (See my previous blog posts for the Masterson's story.)

Trevor Eve to star in The Family Man for BBC One
BBC Press Release

Sex selection and the 'yuck factor'

Maureen — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 12:07:00 GMT

As the debate in Britian continues about sex selection for family balancing, one editorialist opines that there's really no reason not to allow parents to choose the gender of their baby.

As for the idea that choosing your child’s sex is somehow immoral, why do the same critics not inveigh against these more homespun techniques [the squirt of lemon or the high-sodium diet or the immaculate timing]? The intention behind them is exactly the same, after all, whether you are dosing yourself with salty food or sending his sperm to a lab.

We are in danger of letting the “yuck factor” determine our legislation. Thirty years ago, the yuck factor nearly put paid to IVF, which was then known — a little yuckily — as “test-tube babies”. Now IVF is commonplace and few people find it disturbing.

Watch that knee jerk: sex selection is perfectly natural
UK Times Online

Run for the hills, the designer babies are coming!

Maureen — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 12:00:00 GMT

Britian is only a "hop, skip, and a jump" away from the nightmare vision of social engineering portrayed in Aldous Huxley's science fiction classic "Brave New World", according to the chairman of the British Medical Association Welsh Council.

As the UK government considers whether to lift the ban on gender selection for family balancing, Dr. Tony Calland warns that allowing parents to use sex selection on non-medical grounds puts us on the dreaded "slippery slope" toward Huxley's science fiction dystopia, where the inhabitants are standardized, laboratory-grown clones, pre-programmed to be members of the upper class or desgined to be worker drones.

"There are a lot of people who will see any loosening of this Act as a further step on the slippery slope - the end point being where you decide that you want a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who is bright and good at tennis. That takes us down a road which, to my mind, is Brave New World territory. ... We are now a hop, skip and a jump away from it and that makes me very uncomfortable."

Although I'm quite a science fiction fan myself, just for the heck of it let's check out the science facts.

Scientists do not know which gene combinations are responsible for complex traits like intelligence, athletic ability, leadership, beauty, and so on.
Scientists cannot alter an embryo's genetic makeup to produce a desired trait, such as eye color, or even to correct a defect, such as having a disease gene. So far, this has been accomplished only in laboratory animals, and not entirely successfully. Many attempts at genetic modifications introduce unwanted mutations with extreme developmental consequences, even death. We are not a "hop, skip, and a jump" away from using this on humans experimentally, much less on a widespread basis.
Parents cannot design a baby with many desired traits by genetic screening. Although you have seen dozens of news stories about so-called "designer babies" like Jamie Whitaker, the term design is actually incorrect. It's only used because the media knows it's an attention-grabber.

In fact, scientists can merely select an embryo which already has a desired trait. The embryo is still the natural, unaltered offspring of the parents. Genetic screening can do no more than simply identify whether an embryo has a desired trait or not.

So what would stop parents from writing a laundry list of desirable traits for their baby, and selecting only embryos that match?

Parents are limited simply by the number of their embryos available to choose from. As anyone who has been through IVF knows, during each IVF attempt, only a very limited number of viable, healthy embryos can be produced. It just isn't feasible to screen for several "designer" characteristics. Dr. Robert Jansen explains it very well:

First, no gene (unless both parents have it) is going to appear in more than, on average, half the embryos.

Second, how the different genes (all 32,000 or more of them) assort with each other is totally out of our hands, even in an IVF lab. In a restricted number of embryos, as is always the case after egg retrieval and IVF, probably much less than half will even be normal (in terms of having the normal number of chromosomes); of these, on average no more than half will have one wanted gene, no more than a quarter will have two wanted ones, an eighth will have three ... and so on. If you want to get too picky, you quickly run out of embryos.

As for the "slippery slope" -- although gender selection using MicroSort and PGD has been available in the US for a number of years (I used MicroSort 5 years ago), I certainly haven't noticed any tendency for Americans to give up procreating the good old fashioned way.

(Note to Dr. Calland: War of the Worlds isn't real, either; please do not be alarmed.)

Designer babies 'close to reality'
Wales News
"Designer Babies?" Hardly. The near future: a slope that's not as slippery as it looks
Dr. Robert Jansen, from the book Getting Pregnant
Human Germline Genetic Modification <-- Science Fact
Genetics & Public Policy Center (Johns Hopkins University)
Brave New World <-- Science Fiction
by Aldous Huxley (Read the entire book online)

Gender selection tourism: going abroad when you can't get it at home

Maureen — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 16:00:00 GMT

Nicola Chenery was the mother of 4 beautiful sons, but longed for a daughter, so much so that she travelled from her home in England to Spain, where medical gender selection for family balancing is allowed. PGD treatment costing $11,000 made Nicola's dream come true: she is now the mum of twin girls.

(The Chenery story was widely publicized in the British press; see links below.)

The Mastertons are a Scottish couple with 4 sons who wanted a daughter, after their only daughter Nicole died tragically at the age of 3. After trying in vain to persuade the UK government to permit them to use sex selection, the Mastertons went abroad and spent more than $50,000 on three IVF with PGD attempts, but failed to become pregnant. The Mastertons have given up their quest for a daughter, saying "time has run out for us biologically," but continue to support those seeking reproductive choice in the UK.

“I haven’t heard a valid argument yet to deny people that choice. People contact us constantly; most are partaking in infertility tourism.

“Seven couples that we know are going abroad this week, mostly to the United States. Their eggs will be harvested, fertilised, left for 48 hours, undergo testing and then implanted if they are the right sex.

“The technique costs about $20,000 (£11,000). We know of one couple who went four times and were successful on their fourth attempt

The Chenerys:

Mother with four sons paid £6,000 to have daughters
UK Telegraph, Today
Sex choice mum has two girls
BBC News, NOV-2003
Woman pregnant after IVF sex choice
BBC News, JUN-2003
Mum plans to select baby's sex
BBC News, SEP-2002

The Mastertons:

'Infertility tourists' who spend £11,000 to specify sex
UK Times Online, Today
Couple abandon battle for baby of their choice
UK Times Online, JAN-2005 (This breaks my heart.)
Memorandum from Alan Masterton and Louise Masterton to the UK Parliament
Alan Masterton tells in his own words why gender selection is right for his family. (Please ignore his misinformation about "sperm mix", a vast number of medical studies has confirmed that all men have 50/50 X/Y sperm, with only exceedingly rare exceptions.)
Couple tell MPs of test tube baby battle
Scotland Today, JUN-2004
Alan and Louise Masterson speak to the Select Committee on Science and Technology
UK Parliament Transcript, JUN-2004
Baby chase
UK Guardian, JUN-2004
Embryo Police
Wired, FEB-2002

The UK government wants your opinion on whether gender selection should be permitted, or banned

Maureen — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:30:00 GMT

High tech gender selection for family balancing is prohibited in the UK, but is it possible that could change? Today the United Kingdom's Department of Health launches a public consultation to learn the public's views on sex selection and other issues related to assisted conception technologies. The consultation is part of a review aimed at reforming regulations established 15 years ago by the Human Fertilization and Embryology Act (HFE Act).

Below are excerpts from the review document dealing with gender selection. See the links at the end of this article to learn more and find out how to send your own opinion to the UK Department of Health. The deadline is November 25th.

5.28 The HFE Act does not prohibit sex selection of embryos. Sex selection using PGD is subject to regulation by the HFEA. Currently the HFEA only allows sex selection to avoid sex-linked disorders such as haemophilia.

5.29 Sex selection using new “sperm sorting” procedures is not covered by the HFE Act. The question of whether “sperm sorting” should be brought within the HFE Act is dealt with in paragraphs 2.33 to 2.37

5.30 In 2002/03 the HFEA undertook an extensive public consultation on the issue of sex selection. This included written consultation, discussion groups, and a MORI survey of 2,000 people representative of the UK population. This found strong public opposition to sex selection for non-medical reasons.

5.31 The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, however, considered the issue of sex selection and found no adequate justification for prohibiting the use of sex selection for family balancing – that is, where a family already have children of one gender and wish to ‘balance’ their family with a child of the other gender. This was on the basis that family balancing would be unlikely to result in harm to society through an overall gender imbalance. Some countries such as Belgium and Jordan allow sex selection for non-medical reasons. Others such as Israel allow non-medical sex selection only for family balancing purposes.

5.32 The Government seeks views on sex selection for non-medical reasons. In particular, should this be banned? Or should people be allowed to use sex selection techniques for family balancing purposes as the Science and Technology Committee suggest? If so, how many children of one gender should a couple already have before being allowed to use sex selection techniques to try for a child of the other gender?

The following section deals with sperm sorting techniques, which would include Ericsson and MicroSort. These techniques are currently permitted in the UK, as long as no embryos are created, meaning that use with IVF is not allowed.

2.33 The HFE Act currently regulates the storage and donation of gametes and embryos, and the creation and keeping of embryos outside the body. It does not however regulate the use of a couple’s own gametes for treatments which do not involve either storage or the creation of embryos outside the body. This means in practice that certain techniques – such as methods of artificial insemination where sperm is used without being stored – do not come within the scope of regulation, and therefore do not currently require a licence. These techniques include gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and intrauterine insemination (IUI).

Review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act: A public consultation
UK Department of Health
Click here to download review documents, and find instructions for sending your opinion to the Department of Health
Health Minister launches consultation on Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act
UK Department of Health Press Release
UK fertility laws to be reviewed
BioNews UK (excellent resource!)
Forum for discussing the HFE Act review
Funded by the UK Department of Health, this is an open forum for discussing issues raised by the review of the HFE Act.
Fertility laws set for overhaul
BBC News

Miracle cure thanks to PGD and 'savior sibling'

Maureen — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 12:00:00 GMT

Hallelujah! Charlie Whitaker, a toddler ill with a rare and life-threatening blood disorder, has been pronounced cured after receiving a transplant of the umbilical blood from his brother Jamie. Jamie was conceived using PGD, a technique which uses genetic screening to choose a tissue-matched embryo. The Whitakers were forced to travel from Britian to the US for PGD treatment, after the UK government heartlessly refused to permit the use of PGD in their case.

May the Whitaker family continue to enjoy the blessing of health and every happiness!

My little brother was born to save my life
Charlie, 6, gets health all-clear in medical first
UK Mirror

UK's first savior sibling is a 'perfect match' -- and parents are thrilled to have a girl.

Maureen — Mon, 08 Aug 2005 12:00:00 GMT

A few weeks ago I mentioned the birth of the UK's first savior sibling -- Jodie Fletcher, born after PGD was used to select embryos tissue-matched to her 3-year-old brother, Joshua. Joshua suffers from a rare blood disorder, and despite extensive medical treatment is often in severe pain. His only hope for a cure is from a blood stem cell transplant from a tissue-matched donor.

Genetic tests have just revealed that the Fletchers' new daughter, Jodie, is a perfect match. Jubilant at the news, Joe Fletcher says they are delighted to have a"healthy wee girl".

Jodie's dad, Joe, revealed that of the nine embryos fertilised - just one was female.

"The odds were so against having a girl," he said. "Julie always wanted a girl - we have two boys. But we are both just glad the baby is healthy. That is the important thing."

Designer baby is a perfect match; New hope for sick tot Joshua
Belfast Telegraph
'Savior sibling' perfect genetic match for brother
BioNews

Bioethicist defends parents' right to choose their baby's gender

Maureen — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 11:45:00 GMT

Dr. Edgar Dahl, bioethicist and senior research fellow at the medical centre of Geissen University, Germany, argues that sex selection should be permitted in the UK. Based on his extensive research on gender preference among parents in many countries, Dahl refutes the common misconception that gender selection could lead to a sex ratio imbalance. He cites a survey which found that the majority of British couples would like to have an equal number of boys and girls, and the remaining couples didn't have any gender preference.

It is simply untrue that all people who would like to choose the gender of their children are motivated by the sexist belief that one sex is more valuable than the other.

Why I believe parents have the right to choose the sex of their children
Dr. Edgar Dahl

Article: Birth of first "Savior Sibling" conceived in the UK with PGD

Maureen — Tue, 19 Jul 2005 04:21:00 GMT

Article: 'Savior sibling' born to Fletcher family (BioNews, UK)

I've written before about the Whitakers, a family with a seriously ill son who could be cured by a bone marrow transfusion. They hoped to use PGD to have a 'savior sibling' -- using an embryo selected because it was a tissue match for their older son. However, the UK's HFEA (the aptly called "watchdog" organization that decides who can do what with fertility treatments in the UK) denied the Whitakers the use of PGD on the grounds that only an existing child would benefit, not the baby who would be born as the result of PGD.

The HFEA's convoluted logic was much criticized (or criticised, it being England), as you might expect with a storyline like this:

Mr. & Mrs. Whitaker: Dear HFEA, we'd like to use PGD.
HFEA: Well, we don't like it. You'd better have a good reason.
Whitakers: To save the life of a child.
HFEA: Not good enough. Next!

Well, all that's old news. The UK has changed their stance to allow PGD for savior siblings! And, the first baby to result from this medical blessing has been born to the Fletchers in Belfast. Their young son suffers from a very rare disease Diamond Blackfan Anemia, or DBA (just like Charlie Whitaker). Using PGD, the Fletchers conceived a daughter to be a tissue match for a bone marrow transplant to hopefully cure him. (In case you're worried about this procedure hurting the baby, the cord blood can be used.)

UK: Why the critics got it wrong over 'designer babies'

Maureen — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 12:01:00 GMT

Why the critics got it wrong over 'designer babies'
Scottish News

Commentary on the report on reproductive technologies issued by the UK's House of Commons select committee on science and technology concludes, "the report certainly is radical, but in a positive not a negative sense".

UK: The law is halting the birth of a new era

Maureen — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 11:53:00 GMT

The law is halting birth of new era
Scottish News

Dr. Ian Gibson, chairman of the UK's House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, comments on changes needed in the function of the HFEA, which regulates fertility treatment in the UK. An excerpt from this excellent article:

The 1990 Act has an infamous clause, which states that "a woman shall not be provided with treatment services unless account has been taken of the welfare of any child who may be born as a result of the treatment (including the need of that child for a father) and of any other child who may be affected by the birth".

Looking after the welfare of the child sounds like a good thing, but in effect it enables the state to decide who is a fit parent. We decided that this was discriminatory.

It means that infertile couples’ lives are scrutinised in a way that fertile couples would regard as a gross invasion of their privacy.

Gender Selection in the UK?

Maureen — Thu, 24 Mar 2005 03:00:00 GMT

A report from the UK's Commons Science and Technology Committee advises that couples undergoing IVF should be allowed to choose their baby's gender.

Ethics row as choosing baby's sex splits MPs
24-Mar-2005, UK Guardian
Q&A: Fertility Report
24-Mar-2005, BBC News
Parents could pick babies' sex
24-Mar-2005, BBC News
Should parents select their baby's sex?
24-Mar-2005, BBC News
Church criticises baby sex selection report
24-Mar-2005, UK Guardian
Opinion split on baby gender report
24-Mar-2005, UK Daily Mail
Why 'choosing baby' gives birth to controversy
24-Mar-2005, UK Daily Mail
Boy or Girl: Should Parents be Allowed to Choose the Sex of Their Children?
Cardiff Centre for Ethics Law & Society / Edgar Dahl, Ph.D