Sex Selection & Gender Selection

The individual sperm which fertilizes an individual egg is the sole determinant of the sex of the child. If that sperm carries an "X" chromosome, it will result in a female. If it carries a "Y" chromosome, a male will result.

 

We offer the following sex selection services:

• Ratio of X or Y bearing sperm
• Male or Female sperm separation

Go to the patient forms.

Sex Selection Method

Fertility Center of California uses a technique, which was developed by Dr. Ronald Ericsson in the early 1980’s. The Ericsson technique is based on the fact that sperm carrying the Y chromosome move somewhat faster than sperm carrying the X chromosome. A laboratory process is used in which sperm must swim through a sticky protein liquid (albumin), the assumption being that in a given period of time, more Y-bearing than X-bearing sperm will speed through the albumin. By repeating this process, a sperm concentrate is finally obtained which contains a relatively high percentage of Y-bearing or X-bearing sperm (depending on which procedure is selected) than the original sperm sample. The resulting concentrate can then be used by a physician or qualified nurse to perform an intrauterine insemination (IUI).

IMPORTANT: Please understand that this technique is only a way to try to INCREASE THE ODDS of conceiving either a male or a female child.

 

Success Rates of Sex Selection

Clinical data suggests that the Ericsson method produced a success rate of 78-85% for male sex selection, and 73-75% for female. To date no research has conclusively disproved the value of the technique, nor has any study proved conclusively that it consistently produces high success rates.

YOU WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE ACHIEVING THE DESIRED SEX OF YOUR CHILD USING THIS METHOD THAN IF YOU USED NO METHOD AT ALL. BUT JUST HOW MUCH BETTER CHANCE, IT IS CLEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO SAY. THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES IN USING THIS METHOD OR ANY OTHER METHOD AVAILABLE TODAY FOR SEX-SELECTION.

Of course, patients must also understand that there is no guarantee that any particular insemination using sex-selected sperm (or any semen sample, for that matter) will result in conception, or that if conception occurs, that the pregnancy will be carried to term.

 

Sex Selection Frequently Asked Questions

Have many babies been born using the sperm isolation method?
A: Yes. Thousands of healthy babies have been born in the United States and other parts of the world.

How long will it take to conceive using this method?
A: The average woman conceives in about three cycles. Some conceive sooner and others later. Human reproduction is not a very efficient process as evidenced by the fact that only about 20% of couples trying to conceive naturally do so in any given month.

Will irregular menstrual cycles prevent me from undergoing sex pre-selection?
A: Women who have irregular cycles are accepted for this procedure, but usually take longer to conceive, because they ovulate less frequently and unpredictably. This makes it more difficult to choose a proper day for insemination. Hormone tests are of some help in this matter. We recommend that the female be evaluated by a fertility specialist prior to initiation of procedure.

Who will be told of my conception in this manner?
A: The process is totally confidential. Our staff will release no information about you unless so authorized.

Am I more likely to have a problem with a pregnancy resulting from sex pre-selection?
A: Experience indicates that the course of a pregnancy resulting from sperm isolation is no different from that of one conceived naturally.

Are miscarriages more common?
A: The likelihood is no greater or less than that of a natural conception, which is presently estimated at one out of four pregnancies.

Is there a chance of a birth defect developing higher after sperm isolation?
A: No. All artificial insemination studies, whether performed with fresh, frozen, washed or isolated sperm, show no greater occurrence of birth defects when compared to natural conception.

Am I guaranteed the child of desired sex by pre-selection procedures?
A: The outcome of the pregnancies so conceived can never be guaranteed, because sperm isolation does not completely separate X from Y chromosome bearing sperm. The statistics for each procedure will be discussed with you before proceeding.

Once washed, how long can a specimen be kept prior to intrauterine insemination?
A: We suggest that the insemination take place within one hour of completion of separation procedure. A washed specimen can be safely kept for a couple of hours prior to insemination. In addition, Fertility Center of California can maintain the washed specimen in a special medium for 6 hours should the insemination be delayed.

 

For more helpful online information about sex selection, go to wikipedia.com.

 

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