List two technologies that allow parents to select the sex of their child and two points against this process?

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis or PGDis a technique used to determine the presence of a possible X-linked disease, to detect an abnormal number of chromosomes in an embryo, and to determine the sex of the child. In the process of in vitro fertilization, embryos are examined before implantation for the presence or absence of abnormalities in chromosome number or aneuploidies including X0-Turner's syndrome where the child is missing one X chromosome, among others. It can...

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis or PGD is a technique used to determine the presence of a possible X-linked disease, to detect an abnormal number of chromosomes in an embryo, and to determine the sex of the child. In the process of in vitro fertilization, embryos are examined before implantation for the presence or absence of abnormalities in chromosome number or aneuploidies including X0-Turner's syndrome where the child is missing one X chromosome, among others. It can be used to determine if the child is male-XY or female-XX or if there is an extra sex chromosome as in XYY males.

Another technique used is called sperm sorting which is not 100 percent successful. Because an X chromosome has more DNA than a Y chromosome, when a specific stain is applied, the female-producing X sperm shines brighter than the male producing Y sperm does. By separating the sample according to the desires of the couple, there is a higher chance of conceiving the sex of the child that the couple prefers.

Ethically, it takes away from the acceptance of your unique child and the spontaneity of not knowing which sex that child will be at conception. It may place too much pressure on the parents to have a specific type of child and may affect the numbers of children of each sex. These technologies may place too much emphasis on genetic makeup rather than the love someone has for their child which was created naturally without assisted reproductive technologies.

However, by identifying embryos with life-threatening conditions and even those with potential adult-onset conditions such as Huntington's disease, PGD helps to avoid having to make a decision about whether to abort a fetus further along into the pregnancy.