Islamabad: More people in Pakistan are becoming interested in choosing the gender of their baby before birth. This is causing debates about right, legal, or safe. Some hospitals and clinics offer methods like preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and sperm sorting to help parents choose a boy or girl. However, there are no clear laws, and many clinics do it quietly.
How Gender Selection Works
Thanks to medical science, couples can decide their baby’s gender before pregnancy. The most commonly practiced methods in Pakistan include PGD, sperm sorting, MicroSort, and IVF with PGD. PGD screens embryos for diseases and allows gender selection before implantation, making it one of the most accurate options. Sperm sorting, on the other hand, separates sperm carrying either a male or female chromosome before fertilization but has a lower success rate compared to PGD. MicroSort, a more advanced form of sperm sorting, increases the chances of selecting the desired gender but is still less precise than PGD. IVF with PGD combines in vitro fertilization with genetic screening, offering a higher accuracy rate but at a significantly higher cost. While these methods claim an efficacy rate of 90% or higher, their success depends on various factors such as the clinic’s expertise and the patient’s medical condition.
Where and How Much Does It Cost?
Some clinics in cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad provide gender selection services. However, they do not advertise openly because of religious and ethical concerns.
The cost varies—PGD costs between PKR 500,000 to PKR 1,000,000 per cycle, while sperm sorting is cheaper, between PKR 200,000 to PKR 500,000. Because of the high price, only wealthy families can afford it, which raises more questions about fairness.
Religious and Ethical Issues
Religious leaders and experts have different opinions. Some believe choosing a baby’s gender is against God’s will, while others say it can be useful to prevent diseases or balance the family.
Dr. Asim Khan, an expert in bioethics, warns: “Pakistan already has more boys than girls because of cultural preferences. If gender selection becomes common, this gap could grow and cause serious social problems.”
Need for Rules and Laws
Because of these concerns, many experts say the government should create clear rules. Some suggest allowing gender selection only for medical reasons and banning it for personal choice.
As this practice becomes more common, the debate continues. Pakistan has no specific law to control gender selection, meaning clinics can offer it without much restriction. In countries like India and China, non-medical gender selection is banned because it has caused gender imbalance. If Pakistan does not act soon, it may face similar problems in the future.
