Fertility Society of Australia
Media Release, 2 September 2013
New data reveals growing trend in Australian couples seeking social sex selection in overseas IVF units
Australian couples are increasingly seeking sex selection through IVF in overseas clinics to achieve a gender balance in their families.
This is despite the fact that social sex selection is banned in Australia under moral and ethical guidelines imposed by the National Health and Medical Research Council.
The NHMRC guidelines permit IVF sex selection for medical reasons only to reduce the risk of transmitting serious genetic conditions such as haemophilia, which predominantly affects only males.
However, new data to be presented at the annual scientific meeting of the
Fertility Society of Australia starting in Sydney today will reveal a groundswell of Australian couples travelling overseas to select the sex of their baby for social reasons.
Social sex selection involves pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of an embryo in the laboratory to identify whether the chromosomal make-up is male or female. The embryo of the desired gender is then transferred to the uterus in the expectation of a pregnancy to progress.
Associate Professor Mark Bowman, Medical Director of Genea IVF clinic, said the ban on social sex selection in Australia had done little to change decisions by couples, and merely motivated them to seek treatment overseas.
He said Genea’s association with an IVF clinic in Bangkok, Thailand had allowed his clinic to track inquiries about social sex selection from Australia.
“Social sex selection inquiries were recorded over a 20 month period from August 2011 to March 2013 along with data on the number of couples who actually travelled to Thailand for treatment, the percentage of couples who desired a male or female baby, and clinical outcomes,” Associate Professor Bowman said.
“The Bangkok clinic received 266 inquiries about social sex selection from Australian couples and the numbers progressively increased over the 20 month period.
“A total of 111 women started a stimulation cycle for IVF with a further 25 about to commence stimulation. This indicated that 51 per cent of the Australian couples inquiring about treatment actually commenced an IVF cycle.
“Fifty five per cent of the couples treated wanted a male child and 45 per cent desired a female.”
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Associate Professor Bowman said the number of couples undertaking social sex selection at the Bangkok unit was increasing each month with similar trends likely at other units in Thailand and Malaysia.
“At present, the number of couples seeking treatment at the Bangkok unit is much higher than the number of couples who participated in social sex selection at Sydney IVF before the ban was instituted,” he added.
Associate Professor Bowman said there were many “ingrained urban myths” about social sex selection and potential gender distortions that could be challenged.
“In general, couples undertaking IVF simply want to have a healthy baby irrespective of gender,” he explained.
“For the vast majority of couples seeking sex selection, it is simply a case where they may have one or two children of one gender and want to balance their family with a child of the alternative gender.
“From my experience, some women can experience as much psychological stress about the sex of their baby as others with unexplained infertility.”
Professor Michael Chapman, a fertility specialist with IVF Australia and convenor of the Fertility Society meeting in Sydney, said the issue of sex selection for gender balance should be revisited in Australia.
“I see around two couples a month in my clinics who ask about the possibility of accessing sex selection,” he said.
“In my experience, this is not so they can choose the gender of their first child, but more for gender balancing where a couple already have a child or children of one sex.
“They inquire about social sex selection for genuine and valid reasons, and I understand their desire to experience the differences, joys and difficulties of raising both boys and girls.”
The Fertility Society of Australia meeting at the Sydney Hilton has brought together experts from around the world to address latest research and clinical developments in assisted reproduction. The meeting will run from Sunday to Wednesday.
Interview:
Associate Professor Mark Bowman is available for interview.
To arrange, please call Trevor Gill, FSA Media Relations, on 0418 821 948 or Elizabeth Gosch on 0414 319 775..
Professor Michael Chapman can be contacted on 0412 900 120
Further Information:
Trevor Gill, FSA Media Relations 0418 821948
Website: www.fsaconference.com