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Infertility Fast Facts

6.1 Million

Couples approximately in the United States, or 10 percent of all couples of childbearing age, have difficulty conceiving.

Family Balancing

AFamily balancing uses preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to increase the likelihood of having either a boy or a girl.  For this process, the embryo is biopsied on day 3 and one cell is sent to the genetics laboratory to perform testing. The results are received the morning of day 5, before the transfer to the uterus takes place. Embryos of the desired gender are then transferred into the uterus and the other remaining embryos undergo cryopreservation for future use or donation. PGD is the most reliable technique used for gender selection.

Gender selection can be performed for various reasons, such as when one or both partners carry a genetic disease that only affects a specific gender.  Sex-linked diseases include hemophilia and Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. In this instance, a couple may choose to only transfer embryos of the unaffected gender into the uterus.  Gender selection can also be an elective procedure where a couple wants to increase the likelihood that they will have a child of a specific sex, a process referred to as family balancing.

Because family balancing is a highly debatable topic, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) ethics committee published in Fertility and Sterility (Volume 75, No. 5, May 2001) it’s conclusions about the topic.

ASRM provides guidelines for physicians to offer gender selection if:

  1. The couple is fully informed of the risks of failure.
  2. The couple will accept a child(ren) of the undesired gender if the procedure fails.
  3. The couple has received counsel about any unrealistic expectations about the behavior of a child(ren) of the desired gender.
  4. The couple is offered the opportunity to participate in research to track and assess the safety, efficacy and demographics with preconception gender selection. 

When making the decision to pursue IVF with family balancing, you need to schedule a consultation with Dr Brown. We respect a couple, or individual’s, desire to complete their family and would be happy to discuss the available options with you in detail.