Genetic gender selection, the possibilities offered by science

Thanks to genetic gender selection it is possible to choose whether your future baby will be a boy or a girl.

PGD-Labs is a genetics laboratory based in Kuwait that specializes in Reproductive Genetics and has been working since 2014 with in vitro fertilization clinics to increase the chances for couples to have healthy children.

Genetic gender selection consists of a genetic test that is performed on the embryos during the assisted reproduction treatment and allows for the detection of the chromosomal gender of the embryos before implantation in the uterus.

This test allows us to detect aneuploidies related to sex chromosomes, such as monosomy X, which is related to Turner syndrome; or XXY trisomy, related to Klinefelter syndrome, among other diseases.

When is it usually performed?

There are a number of cases in which gender selection is recommended:

For medical reasons. In cases in which the baby is at risk of being affected by a gender-related disease.

For a family balance. When a family balance is sought in cases in which the couple has many male or female children and they want to have a baby of the opposite sex.

How does genetic gender selection work?

The process has four steps, which we explain below:

• 1. The first step is the in vitro fertilization step to obtain embryos developed at an assisted reproduction unit.
• 2. It is essential to perform an embryo biopsy, performed on the third day of the embryo’s development, which involves collecting a cell off of it without compromising its normal development.
• 3. During the third phase, a genetic diagnosis is performed. PGD-Labs’ team performs the genetic analysis based on the cell that was obtained from the embryo. The test is carried out by means of the FISH technique and allows us to determine the gender chromosome content of the embryo.
• 4. Lastly, the embryo is transferred. The results of the genetic test are submitted to the assisted reproduction unit, along with the normal embryos of the desired chromosomal gender.

Wonder how you can obtain more information about genetic gender selection? You can do so by calling +965 969 38 400 or sending us an e-mail at info@pgdlabs.com.

You can also contact us through the form that you will find on our website, where you will need to specify your name and the subject of your message. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible!