Most Common Methods on Gender Selection

The selection of gender has been a quest of couples for as far back as recorded history allows. Early drawings from prehistoric times suggest that sex selection efforts were being investigated by our earliest ancestors. Later history shows intense interest in sex selection by early Asian (Chinese), Egytptian and Greek cultures. This is followed by documented scientific efforts begining in the 1600's to sway the chances of achieving a pregnancy by a variety of methods.

The Shettles Method	Effectiveness : 75~90%
Developed by Landrum B. Shettles, this gender method based on men in producing X (female) and Y (male) sperm. The male sperm are faster and stronger than the female sperm and this means that it is usually the male sperm that will reach and fertilise an egg first. There are a number of factors that can affect this however.

Diet	Effectiveness : 60%+
Studies have shown a mother-to-be's diet high in potassium and sodium including vegetables, bananas, fish and meat may favor the conception of a baby boy. A diet high in calcium and magnesium including milk, beans, cereals, cheese and nuts may favor a baby girl.

MicroSort	Effectiveness : 91% for a girl, and 76% for a boy
MicroSort technology tags sperm bearing X chromosomes (those which determine females) and sperm bearing Y chromosomes (those which determine males) with a fluorescent dye so that they can be segregated into different batches. The dye harmlessly attaches to the DNA molecules that make up genes. Female-determining X chromosomes are much bigger than male-determining Y chromosomes, which means that human sperm carrying X chromosomes have 2.8 percent more DNA than do sperm with Y chromosomes. Thus, X-sperm soak up more of the fluorescent dye and glow more brightly. This difference in brightness allows flow cytometry machines to detect and separate the X- from the Y-bearing sperm. Once the sperm have been segregated, they may be used in either artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization to produce a child of the desired sex.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis	Effectiveness : 100%
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) before transferring them into the uterus. Because only unaffected embryos are transferred to the uterus for implantation, PGD provides an alternative to current postconception diagnostic procedures, ie, amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, which are frequently followed by pregnancy termination if results are unfavorable. PGD is performed in conjunction with IVF and is offered to fertile and infertile couples.