ETHICAL AND SOCIAL-ISSUES IN PRENATAL SEX SELECTION - A SURVEY OF GENETICISTS IN 37 NATIONS

In a recent 37-nation survey of 2903 geneticists and genetic counselor s, 29% would perform prenatal diagnosis (PND) for a couple with four g irls who want a boy and would abort a female fetus. An additional 20% would offer a referral. The percentage who would perform PND in the Un ited States (34%) was exceeded only by Israel (68%), Cuba (62%), Peru (39%), and Mexico (38%). In all, 47% had had requests for sex selectio n. There appears to be a trend toward honoring such requests since a s imilar survey in 1985. This paper discusses reasons for this trend and the ethical dilemmas of refusing patient requests in societies where individual autonomy is stressed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.