The Practice of Sex Selection :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Practice of Sex Selection Sex Selection is usually thought of as a procedure that occurs prior to conception, however, that is not always the case. Sex selection is a method that is used prior to and after conception. Focusing on after conception and birth, sex selection can take place by genetically testing, or by taking ultrasound images of the developing fetus, resulting in abortion due to an undesired gender. The practice of sex selection can also take place after birth of the child, â€Å"[†¦] when one or both parents kill their baby† (Dixon). Partial birth abortion, which was banned by the Senate, was a major practice used by many around the world. In this procedure the abortionist, whom is guided by the use of an ultrasound, grabs the baby’s legs with forceps pulling the baby into the birth canal, ever so carefully delivering the entire body except for the head. Following the partial birth, the abortionist jams a pair of scissors into the bay’s skull, slightly opening then to increase the size of the hole. The scissors are then removed and a suction catheter is inserted into the hole enabling the brain to be drained and skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed from the mother’s birth canal. More highly utilized is deliberates induction of a miscarriage. This procedure is practiced everyday all over the world and only takes approximately fifteen minutes. The cervix of the women is dilated with rods allowing a tube to be inserted into the uterus. The fetus and placenta are then â€Å" vacuumed† out. The uterus is then scraped with an instrument known as a curette to make sure no products remain behind. Practicing sex selection prior to conception is viewed as a more natural and more of a safe way to conceive a child of a desired gender. â€Å"The trouble is that society as a whole is not capable of handling Sex Selection without terrible results† (Dixon). The most practiced pre-selection is the laboratory. Here urine specimens are used to monitor ovarian steroid changes during ovulation. â€Å"Although methods of selecting sex before conception are not entirely reliable [†¦]† (British Medical Journal), it is obviously the practical route to go. A response to either practice of sex selection merely depends on the factor of cost and ease of access.