Female

5. Is ‘reproductive tourism’ the next cause
of female infanticide?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines “sex selection” as “the practice
of using medical techniques to choose the sex of offspring” which “encompasses
a number of practices including selecting embryos for transfer and implantation
following In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), separating sperm, and selectively
terminating a pregnancy”. 194
In recent years new technologies such Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis
(PGD), Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS), and sperm-sorting have
been developed and promoted. With the invention of advanced reproductive
technology, doctors are playing “god” - screening embryos for genetic disorders
in order to select the best viable healthy embryos. While technology can assist
to detect genetic disorders in the embryos, increasing number of parents and
doctors are misusing the technology for non-medical purposes, primarily for
sex selection. 195
According to 2009 data from the Center for Genetics and Society, five countries
prohibit sex selection for any reason: Austria, New Zealand, South Korea,
Switzerland, and Viet Nam. Thirty-one countries prohibit it for “social or nonmedical
reasons,” including Australia, Belgium, China, France, Germany, India,
Italy, Russia, Spain, the U.K and South Africa (banned in 2012). 196 Sex selection
is allowed in the United States, Thailand and several South American countries
(Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador) and Middle Eastern countries (Egypt,
Jordan). 197
In nations where gender selection is banned, people often travel to the United
States, Mexico, Thailand and other nations where it’s legal to undergo PGD/
PGS. 198 The United States and Thailand, in particular, have become the hub for
such “reproductive tourism”. 199
194. World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/genomics/gender/en/index4.html
195. Asian Law Institute, “The Practice of Sex Selection In Asian Region”, Working Paper Series No.034, May 2014,
https://law.nus.edu.sg/asli/pdf/WPS034.pdf
196. See http://reason.com/blog/2014/07/22/embryo-sex-selection-in-america-thailand
197. See http://reason.com/blog/2014/07/22/embryo-sex-selection-in-america-thailand
198. See http://www.gender-baby.com/lifestyle/legal-issues/international-laws-on-gender-selection/
199. See http://reason.com/blog/2014/07/22/embryo-sex-selection-in-america-thailand
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