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Should Parents Be Allowed To Choose The Sex Of Their Baby?
Many couples trying to conceive a child have at least some inkling of whether they want a girl or a boy. These preferences have made some resort to less-than-surefire methods, from taking vitamins to timing when they have sex in order to influence gender.
But with the growing popularity of in vitro fertilization, more and more parents-to-be are gaining the ability to determine, with almost 100% certainty, the gender of their baby. This week, model Chrissy Teigen and her husband, singer John Legend, announced they not only wanted a girl but chose the gender of their baby, a daughter, due this spring.
But decisions over whether couples should be given this choice, and what the consequences of it could be, are anything but certain.
Doctors have been grappling with these questions for years. In 1999, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a professional organization, held the opinion that using IVF for sex selection should “not be encouraged.” But last year, the group eased its stance and urged clinicians to develop their own policies as to whether or not to offer the service in their practice.
“From my own personal perspective, I don’t think there’s anything unethical about any of it, however it’s ethically controversial,” said Dr. Mark Sauer, chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Columbia University Medical Center.
Some people view choosing the gender of the baby as a part of the concern that IVF is upsetting a natural process, and those concerns date back to the first IVF baby born in 1978, said Sauer, who is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Ethics Committee, which issues opinions about assisted reproductive technologies.
Some of the loudest outcry over sex selection and IVF in general can be heard in the public response to celebrity news. Teigen faced an uproar when she announced that she chose to have a female embryo implanted after she and Legend underwent IVF because they had difficulty conceiving. People wondered publicly whether Kim Kardashian and Kanye West selected the sex of their baby boy born in December.
But what are the most common concerns that experts and the general public have over sex selection?
It is not safe for the embryo
IVF on its own does not reveal anything about the sex of the embryo. In the conventional method, a doctor retrieves a woman’s eggs and fertilizes them in a Petri dish. After letting the resulting embryos grow for a few days, the doctor looks at them under the microscope and implants one (or more) of the embryos that appear to be most viable in the woman.
However, over the last 20 years, women and couples have increasingly had the option of adding a screening step to their IVF cycle, which determines a lot about the embryos, including gender. In 2013, 6% of IVF procedures involved screening for specific diseases. A 2008 survey of clinics in the United States found that 74% offer the service.
One type of more general screening, known as pre-implantation genetic screening or PGS, involves taking one cell from the embryo and looking at its chromosomes. The rest of the embryo is frozen while doctors carry out the test. It helps doctors determine which embryos are most viable and rule out chromosomal abnormalities responsible for conditions such as Down syndrome and Turner syndrome.
“Inherent to (all these types of) screening is knowing the sex as well,” Sauer said.
Sauer lets couples decide if they want to know the sex of the embryos and if so, to choose which to implant. They know the questions are coming — it’s part of the informed consent when couples order the screening — and most of them do want to know the sex of the embryos and also want to decide which gender to implant, Sauer said.
Some doctors have argued that manipulating the embryo in order to do the screening carries “intrinsic risk” to the embryo. Despite these concerns, there is currently no evidence that it is unsafe, Sauer said. “But when you’ve got millions of babies (who were screened in this way), you get less and less concerned that you are doing harm,” he said.
Likewise, there is growing evidence that IVF in general is safe, Sauer said. A 2015 study looked at more than a million assisted reproductive technology procedures between 2000 and 2011 and found no evidence for concerning complications, although there were increases in reports of ovarian pain and other side effects.
If anything, the screening step may lead to safer pregnancies. The better job doctors can do at determining which embryos are most viable, the more likely they may be to implant only one embryo and reduce the “epidemic of multiple births in this country,” Sauer said. “In the future, it may become the standard of practice to screen almost every embryo.”
It could lead to gender bias
So far there is no evidence, at least in the United States, that giving couples the option of selecting the sex of their child could lead to a surplus of girls or boys. “Let’s face it, there is discrimination against women, but I don’t sense in the practice of assisted reproductive technology, at least in my experience, there is an overwhelming bias” toward one sex or the other, Sauer said.
There are concerns, particularly in some Asian countries, about societies valuing boys more than girls, “but to some extent this could be a cultural stereotype,” said Brendan Foht, assistant editor of The New Atlantic, a journal that publishes articles by experts and the general public on bioethical issues.
Even if sex selection is not likely to skew the gender ratio in the United States anytime soon, there is a general philosophical concern that parents should not have this level of control over their offspring. “Sex selection kind of undermines the concept of unconditional love and obligation by making the love conditional upon the child being a certain thing, in this case, a boy or a girl,” Foht said.
Sauer is less worried that choosing gender will affect how a parent loves their child. “They really just want to have that experience. They love their children. It’s not like they think one sex is better than the other, but they think, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have a child of (this) gender?'” he said. This kind of thinking sometimes happens if, for example, a couple already has three boys and wants to try for a girl, a concept sometimes called “family balancing.”
It could divert resources away from medically necessary IVF
Currently, the only reliable way for parents to “balance” their family in terms of the sexes of their children is through IVF — although it is possible to some extent to select for gender using intrauterine insemination, by separating female and male sperm. This is a much less precise science. “The best techniques are about 90% to 95% successful,” but there’s a lot of variation, Sauer said. In contrast, the reliability of sex selection using IVF is about 100%.
Still, there are probably not a lot of couples that specifically carry out IVF in order to be able to choose the gender of their child. But it’s hard to know for sure. IVF clinics do not have to report on the motives of their clients. Currently there is only a voluntary system for clinics to report their success rates, in terms of metrics such as percentage of live births, Foht said.
“It’s a for-profit industry, so if customers come in with some idiosyncratic desire for IVF, they’re probably not going to turn them away,” Foht said. Nevertheless, some insurance plans do cover IVF, as well as screening, and in these cases it’s conceivable that there could be competition for limited IVF resources, he added.
A number of countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada, have placed bans on sex selection for “social uses,” as opposed to when it is used to avoid the risk of sex-linked diseases, such as Fragile X syndrome, which affects girls. However, ethicists have challenged these types of bans, arguing that sex selection will not lead to gender imbalance in the population.
— CNN
As he continues to impact our society positively and find new frontiers, Mr. Seyi Tinubu leaves no one in doubt about his generosity and care.
To Borno with love
For a state still nursing deep scars inflicted by years of violent extremism, the collapse of the Alau Dam, Borno, on December 10 was yet one tragedy too many.
The flood from the dam overwhelmed two local councils in the state (Maiduguri and Jere), killed about 150 people, and displaced over 70 percent of its residents.
Maiduguri and its residents, who never seemed to get enough help for their protracted misery, needed more help after the dam collapsed.
When President Tinubu’s first son, Mr. Seyi Tinubu, with his younger brother, Yinka, and a few others visited the state and announced a donation of N500m, it came as a prayer answered.
The intervention was not only in cash. He also donated 10,000 pieces of mosquito nets, blankets, mattresses, kettles, wrappers, buckets, mats, sanitary pads and wash kits, as well as critical supplies to cover prescriptions for almost 50,000 children and adults, including anti-malarials, anti-hypertensives, anti-parasitics, anti-diabetics, analgesics and antibiotics.
The gesture, which left many pleasantly amazed, caused a ripple in several quarters, especially among those unfamiliar with such heartfelt generosity from the children of Nigeria’s first family without official titles.
Succour for PWDs
Many didn’t know that Seyi wasn’t a stranger to looking out for the distressed and vulnerable. For him, philanthropic and humanitarian gestures not only preceded the Maiduguri tragedy, but it’s a practice he determined to honour, almost like a tradition.
For example, in May 2023, during the Renewed Hope Concert at the MKO Abiola National Stadium in Abuja to celebrate President Bola Tinubu’s imminent inauguration, Seyi stirred emotions when he was seen handing out wheelchairs to some people with disabilities present at the venue. The event was attended by then president-elect Tinubu and Vice President-elect Shettima.
The elated beneficiaries, who saw his generous and thoughtful gesture instantly upgrade the quality of their lives, couldn’t contain their joy.
Youth and sports too
Fast forward to 2025, to the Seyi Tinubu Basketball Championship, held at the Dogon Dutse Basketball Pitch in Jos, offered where he donated a total of N5m in cash prizes, with N3m naira awarded to the victorious team and N2m, to the runners-up. It’s clear that Seyi Tinubu’s tradition of uplifting others certainly knows neither tribe nor religion.
For him, the championship—which the organisers said aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda—was enough to celebrate youth, community spirit, and the power of sports to unite people across Nigeria.
A heart for healthcare
However, his interventions have mainly focused on health, with maternal and child health taking the lead.
Through his ‘Drug Banks for Indigent Patients in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatric Pharmacy Intervention’ launched in August 2024 at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika-Zaria, Kaduna State, he set out to reach about 600,000 indigent patients monthly across 60 tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
This ambitious project involves establishing drug banks in each of the 60 facilities mandated to service 10,000 indigent patients monthly.
At the inauguration of the project at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr. Cole Ayodele, the National Coordinator for the Seyi Tinubu Maternal and Child Health Intervention Scheme, had noted rightly that Nigeria’s maternal mortality was about the 4th highest in the world – a grim record and narrative which this noble initiative from Seyi Tinubu is determined to change.
While launching the same initiative at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), he further endowed an N1,000,000 scholarship granted to the best paediatric resident doctor.
Dr. Gabriel Oyeleke, a senior paediatrics registrar who was reportedly distinguished himself in the line of duty by caring for children in the hospital, was awarded the N1,000,000 scholarship in cash the same day.
The Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Dr. Wasiu Adeyemo, couldn’t hide his pleasure at the initiative. He noted that it would provide significant financial relief for countless indigent individuals who were financially unable to access prescribed drugs and medical treatments.
Before then, the team had visited the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Asaba with the total package, including the N1m Residency Training Scholarship for final-year pediatric residents to assist with registering and preparing for final fellowship exams.
Dr. Joseph Ajanwenyi, who got the scholarship award, thanked Seyi Tinubu for his generosity and also vowed to use the grant responsibly for its intended purpose.
After that, the Seyi Tinubu healthcare intervention train also stopped at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abuja to donate Life-Saving Drugs Worth Millions of naira.
While celebrating the donation on their Instagram page on September 24, 2024, the FMC Abuja management stated that the donation was Seyi Tinubu’s demonstration of his commitment to maternal and child care.
They also celebrated Dr. Fatima Mohammed, who received the N1,000,000 Seyi Tinubu Residency Training Scholarship the same day.
Medical bills cleared
From Abuja, we head back to the South, this time to Lagos State precisely, where Ifeoluwa Ore, a young sickle cell patient at LASUTH who had been discharged but could not leave because she could not afford the medical bills, was recorded thanking Seyi Tinubu for clearing her medical bills.
Unable to contain her joy and relief, she stated, “It has lifted a lot of burden for my family, and there is no way I can appreciate him enough. I want to say ‘Thank you’ for what he has done and what he is doing God will continue to bless you.”
One of his humanitarian projects, Seyi Tinubu Support Initiative, cleared the medical bills of Ifeoluwa and the others who were stranded.
By Maxwell Uzochukwu, he wrote from Lekki, Lagos.
Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Executive Governor of Edo State has shown that he is a blessing to the State with his policy, appointments, flagging off roads construction in the three Senatorial districts and his love for the people of the state.
Edo State Governor, Sen Monday Okpobholo
Governor Monday Okpebholo has started working and fulfilling his five (5) points agenda that he promised the good people of the state since he took oath of office.
In security, he has shown total commitment because he promised the people of Edo State that he will provide security and truly, Edo State is peaceful and people are happy about it. He has given necessary support to security personnels.
He increased Ambrose Alli University (AAU) subvention from N40 million to N500 million, he has promised to look into AAU medical students issue and the governor has started renovating primary and secondary Schools in the state, this is to tell you that Senator Monday Okpebholo knows the important of Education.
Agricultural sector has taken a good turn because he has awarded N70 billion to the sector. He knows the important of Agriculture to the state and nation at large, very soon Edo State will be the food basket of the nation with the way His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo is investing in Agriculture.
During electioneering period, Senator Monday Okpebholo promised employment of 5000 people within his 100days in office and he has started the process, very soon, Edo State people will smile because he will not sign MOU before employing them. He has started appointing Edo State People and not Lagosians into various positions.
The people’s Governor, Monday Okpebholo has started his road projects across Edo State , from Edo South to Edo Central and down to Edo North, just because he believes that when the roads are motorable, prices of market products will drop automatically.
The governor has started investing in Health sector, this is because he knows the important of the sector to Edo State people.
By Eigbefo Felix
As I set out to pen this piece on this serene Sunday afternoon, my mind is drawn to the profound epistle of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
Edo State Governor, Sen Monday Okpobholo
Hallelujah!
I have chosen to begin this way because it resonates deeply with my assessment of Governor Monday Okpebholo’s leadership over the past two months.
When Senator Monday Okpebholo stepped into the political ring, many underestimated him. He wasn’t the loudest voice in the room, nor the most flamboyant. In a political landscape where the ability to raise dust often overshadows the capacity to lay foundations, Okpebholo’s calm and collected demeanor was dismissed as a weakness. But, as Apostle Paul aptly put it, God has a way of using the “foolish” things of the world to confound the wise. And indeed, Governor Okpebholo has confounded his critics with actions that speak louder than the hollow rhetoric of his predecessor.
To truly appreciate the transformation taking place in Edo State, one must first understand where we’re coming from. For eight long years, governance was more about optics than outcomes. The previous administration, under Governor Godwin Obaseki, was a masterclass in what the locals have dubbed “audio governance.” Projects were announced with great fanfare, but their execution remained a mirage. MoUs were signed and celebrated, only to gather dust in forgotten drawers. Roads that were critical to economic and social well-being were left to rot, with billboards proclaiming, “Please bear with us; this is a federal road,” as if to absolve the state of any responsibility.
Governor Okpebholo has flipped the script. He didn’t start his administration with loud declarations or endless ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Instead, he started with work—real, tangible work.
In just two months, Governor Okpebholo has demonstrated that governance is about delivering results, not excuses. The Benin-Auchi Road by Obadan Junction, long neglected, has received the needed attention. The failed portions of the Benin-Abuja Road in Ekpoma, which seemed destined to remain a nightmare for travelers, are now under repair. Roads that were mere campaign promises in the past, like Upper Ekenwan Road, are nearing completion.
Even the Aduwawa-Upper Mission Junction, a project that felt like a distant dream, is now coming to life. And let’s not forget the Temboga-Uteh Road, which now wears the Governor’s signature of progress.
One resident put it succinctly: “In just two months, this man has done more than others did in eight years. He doesn’t make noise; he makes things happen.”
Beyond roads, Governor Okpebholo’s administration is tackling the long-neglected healthcare sector. The construction of a modern health center in Udomi, Irua, is a testament to his commitment. The 2025 budget allocates N63.9 billion to healthcare and an additional N1.8 billion for a health insurance scheme, ensuring that no Edo citizen is left behind.
One of the most commendable moves of Governor Okpebholo’s administration has been his decisive action to sanitize Edo’s markets. By placing a ban on market unions, which had long been accused of oppressive and exploitative practices, the governor has brought relief to traders and consumers alike. These unions had been driving up the prices of food and commodities through arbitrary levies and monopolistic control, leaving ordinary Edo citizens to bear the brunt.
In his words, “Markets should be places of commerce and community, not oppression. We cannot allow a few individuals to profit at the expense of the majority.”
Since the ban, market prices have begun to stabilize, and traders have expressed gratitude for the governor’s intervention.
Edo State has not been immune to the scourge of insecurity, particularly the alarming rise in cult-related killings that claimed over 100 lives in 2024. Governor Okpebholo has tackled this issue head-on, adopting a consultative and inclusive approach. Through interagency consultations and his robust security meetings, he has fostered collaboration among law enforcement agencies and local communities.
This proactive engagement has led to a significant de-escalation of tensions and a peaceful resolution to many conflicts. As one community leader observed, “For the first time, we feel heard. The governor is not just issuing orders; he’s listening and acting.”
Another area where Governor Okpebholo has demonstrated his commitment to justice is in addressing the contentious issue of land grabbing. Under the previous administration, many communities and individuals saw their lands forcefully taken, their properties destroyed, and their voices silenced.
Governor Okpebholo has taken a firm stance, declaring that such lands will be restored to their rightful owners, provided they can present proof of ownership. This policy has brought renewed hope to many Edo citizens who had all but given up on ever reclaiming their ancestral lands.
“The government is here to serve the people, not to oppress them,” the governor stated. “We will right the wrongs of the past and ensure justice prevails.”
Governor Okpebholo’s 2025 budget, aptly titled the “Budget of Renewed Hope for a Rising Edo,” is a roadmap to sustainable development. With 63% of the N604 billion budget earmarked for capital expenditure, it’s clear where his focus lies.
* Road Development: N162 billion
* Education: N48 billion
* Health: N63.9 billion
* Agriculture: N75 billion
This is not just a budget; it is a statement of intent. It reflects the governor’s five-point agenda—security, infrastructure, healthcare, food sufficiency, and education—augmented by a renewed focus on agriculture.
Governor Okpebholo’s approach to governance can be likened to a diligent farmer. While others scatter seeds carelessly, hoping for a quick harvest, he tills the soil, plants with precision, and nurtures the crops. The results are already visible, and the harvest promises to be bountiful.
In reforming local government administration, the governor has brought discipline and transparency to a system that was previously plagued by inefficiency. His bold steps are setting a new standard for accountability and service delivery.
Governor Monday Okpebholo is proving that leadership is not about noise but results. He is confounding the critics and inspiring the citizens. As Apostle Paul wrote, God uses the weak and despised to bring about great things, and in Edo State, this truth is playing out before our very eyes.
Edo is rising, not on the wings of empty promises, but on the back of a governor who understands that actions speak louder than words. Indeed, Governor Okpebholo has become the farmer who sows in silence and reaps in abundance—a leader who delivers hope, one project at a time.
Fred Itua is the Chief Press Secretary to Edo State Governor
