Roxon not keen on sex selection

13 Mar 2010, 1:26 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Choosing the sex of a baby has been banned in Australia for the past five years. (Getty)

Choosing the sex of a baby has been banned in Australia for the past five years. (Getty)

Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the federal government isn't pushing for a ban on baby gender selection technology.

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Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the federal government isn't pushing for a ban on baby gender selection technology to be lifted, saying she's personally very uncomfortable with the proposal.

The practice of choosing the sex of a baby has been banned for the last five years.

Limited exceptions exist where it can be shown that a child of a particular gender faces a high risk of inheriting a genetic disease from a parent.

The five-year moratorium expires this year and the National Health and Medical Research Council is reviewing its guidelines.

Ms Roxon said she was happy for a review and to hear the arguments for and against a change.

"But I need to flag that the government has not set down this path because we wish to make any changes," she told ABC radio on Saturday.

"And, at a personal level, I am very uncomfortable about the suggestions that such a change might be made."

Advocating for change is IVF pioneer Professor Gab Kovacs who says some parents already travel to countries such as the United States and Thailand to choose the sex of their children.

He says some parents are willing to pay up to $15,000 for the technique, and the opportunity to choose a baby's sex should remain.

"I can't see any reason why it should be forbidden," he told ABC radio.

"I've seen a number of couples who have maybe three or four children of one particular sex and they're very keen on family balancing.

"That's the type of couple that most often ask about sex selection."

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Your Comments

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Unfair Ban

LJ - from newcastle, 9 months ago

I have read all the comments and find myself sitting here saying yes yes yes I have all girls and feel uncomplete plus the family name ends with my husband I agree that if its a first or second or even third baby then ok allow the ban but when its your 4th and your age is starting to limit your chances why shouldnt we have the right to this treatment. So we can abort abort abort if we know its the sex we dont want but cant stop this need by allowing it to be the right sex first up.' LIFT BAN

Right to family balance

Emma - from Victoria, 10 months ago

I have three beautiful boys who I love and adore. Last week I had a termination of what would have been our fourth boy. If family balancing through sex selection was allowed in Australia this termination would never have had to happened. We would have taken the opportunity to ensure a girl at a hefty financial cost to ourselves. Please lift the ban, so that no other family has to go through the physical and emotional roller coaster that we are on!!!

We pay taxes so we should have the right to choose!

Desperate for a girl - from Queensland, 12 months ago

I pay taxes which fund ministerial positions so why don't I have the right to choose the child I wish to have? Australia wants us to have children to support the aging population, but our government allows abortion and instead bans the ability for parents to choose the gender of a child who is wanted? You want us to keep money in Australia but send us overseas for gender selection. And what about the depression caused by the inability to have the child you want? Why do we have this ban really?

REALLY WONT MY OWN BABY GIRL

THERESA - from EMERALD QLD, 1 year

ITS FUNNY TO SEE HOW MANY PLP WONT GIRLS TO BOYS IT MUST SAY SOMETHING I HAVE 4 CUTE LITTLE BOYS 9,6,2 AND 6 MONTHS OLD AND STILL JUST DONT FEEL COMPLETE I DONT REALLY WONT TO BE PERGANET ANYMORE BUT STILL FINDING MYSELF UPSET TO THINK ILL NEVER HAVE MY OWN LITTLE GIRL I FEEL LIKE I HAVE MISSED OUT I REALLY GET UPSET WHEN I SEE ALL MY OTHER FRIENDS AND FAMILY WITH THERE LITTLE GIRL ITS NOT FAIR WHY CANT I CHOSSE TO HAVE PLS LEFT THE BAND

Consider Others..

M - from NSW, 1 year

I agree with all that has been stated above. I love and adore my 3 boys but have the desire to raise a girl not only for myself but for my husband and kids. I like many other have the need to want to raise both genders and there should be nothing wrong with that and it doesn't mean we love the children we already have any less. My boys are mummy's boys and I wouldn't have it any other way, all I'm asking for is the chance to choose to have one little girl - surely that's not too much to ask.

DESPARATE FOR A DAUGHTER

mumof5boys - from queensland, 1 year

We have 5 beautiful boys and would dearly love to have a little girl, we have considered the possibility of going to Thailand but because to the travel costs on top of the procedure it is not possible. I love my boys but not experiencing a daughter is destroying me. We are going to try natural gender selection this year with low salt diet etc but if it doesn't work I am still longing for that little girl to complete my family. Please consider individual decision based on every family situation

WE WANT OUR GIRL!!!!!!!

Emma - from Queensland, 2 years ago

This ban is very very unfair like mentioned above only balanced familys are against it having the same gender time and time again does lead to dissapointment and often depression, we are desperate for a girl after 3 beautiful boys they want a sister too!!!!!!!! If you cant give the go ahead for PGD because it involves embryos then why not at least allow sperm sorting sperm spinning for sex selection reasons that way no embryos would be involved! wake up australia we r living in the dark ages!

WE WANT A GIRL !

p - from brisbane, 2 years ago

lift the ban. we have the right to abort our babies time after time. we have the right as adults to change our gender and slice our bodies up with plastic surgery. we lost our little girl and do have two boyswho we of course adore. But we wouls still love to experience raising a girl.Maybe it should be case by case . Possibly if adoption didnt take so long in our contry this wouldnt be an issue for some families!

REMOVE THIS UNFAIR BAN

M - from Brisbane, 2 years ago

We have 6 sons and would love to have a daughter, we can not afford to travel overseas to do gender selection. If this ban was not in place it would make alot of families in our situation much happier. Thats what life is all about complete happiness, so if it means swaying the odds so it definatly goes in your favour rather than natural gender selection then so be it. I think if you have more than 2 or 3 of the same sex you should definatly be able to choose to go through gender selection.

REMOVE THE BAN....

M - from Qld, 2 years ago

Yes. Remove the Ban. I lost my daughter to Leaukaemia. I have since had 3 boys and long to have a beautiful girl in my life. Although another daughter would NOT in any way replace my beautiful angel, having another girl would be fantastic. Please, remove the stupid Ban. Give Australians back OUR choice. It should be OUR choice to make.

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