home test for fetus gender raises abortion concerns

[Amby 490]

A sonogram will usually tell you if you have a boy or a girl in the womb, but they typically aren't done until around 18 weeks.

For those who must know now, a home test kit from a company called IntelliGender will do it at about 10 weeks. You just collect some urine, swirl it in the test vessel, and in 10 minutes it'll be yellow or orange if the fetus is a girl and smoky green if it's a boy.

Well, 90 percent of the time it works, anyway, or at least so claims the company.

If it's just a matter of curiosity, few would care what you swirl in that vessel. But in New Zealand, where the product is set to debut, some are worried that the urge to purge might be a motive.

"The concern we would have is that people would then terminate pregnancies on the grounds of sex selection,"said Dr. Ted Weaver of the The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, in an article on the New Zealand Herald's web site.

With the recent killing of George Tiller, long targeted for criticism by anti-abortion activists in the United States, abortion of any kind remains as controversial as ever in the United States, where a recent study found, surprisingly, that unwed pregnant teens and 20-somethings who attend or have graduated from private religious schools are more likely to obtain abortions than public schools counterparts.

Gender-based abortion (most often to select for sons) is not unusual in some countries, particularly in Asia. Meanwhile, Swedish health authorities ruled last month that gender-based abortion is not illegal and therefore can't be stopped.

The company that makes the test is careful not to suggest you not make any decisions based on the results.

On its web site: "The test is designed as a fun, positive pre-birth experience for the parents-to-be. IntelliGender does not recommend test users to make any financial, emotional or family planning decisions based on the test results."

http://www.livescience.com/health/090608-gender-test.html

[Peikko 1,575]

I thought these things had a margin of error in the hands of experts - imagine the tragic results in the hands of idiots? - oh wait, we don't have to imagine such things

Edited June 11, 2009 by Madame Cleo

[trinket 30]

I bet it will sell like hot cakes in Indian black market. Sex determination is illegal in India, people who can afford go to places like Thailand just to get a sonogram and know the sex of the baby and a lot of times they obviously have an abortion if its a female fetus

[Amby 490]

stfu cleo that test is 90% accurate!

[Minya's wife 25]

I saw this at the store the other day and didn't give it a second thought....not sure how much of a real concern this can be, even if 90% accurate. But there may be some real concern if such an accurate home test kit would be available in China though.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

smoky green???????????????? #######!!!! Why does that test hate little female fetuses????????

[Minya's wife 25]

smoky green???????????????? #######!!!! Why does that test hate little female fetuses????????

female fetuses give off yellow or orange while male fetuses give off green...so it hates little boy fetuses?

[Chica Yeyé 41]

smoky green???????????????? #######!!!! Why does that test hate little female fetuses????????

female fetuses give off yellow or orange while male fetuses give off green...so it hates little boy fetuses?

it hates them both!!! Where's the outrage?!?!?!?

[Minya's wife 25]

smoky green???????????????? #######!!!! Why does that test hate little female fetuses????????

female fetuses give off yellow or orange while male fetuses give off green...so it hates little boy fetuses?

it hates them both!!! Where's the outrage?!?!?!?

they should just make the test digital...so it read Boy or Girl, not this color coding $hit.

[Niels Bohr 72]

It's New Zealand problems. Not the US.

"It puts the lotion on its skin."

"Precioius, my love precious."

Edited June 12, 2009 by Niels Bohr

[_Simpson_ 250]

Gender-based abortion (most often to select for sons) is not unusual in some countries, particularly in Asia. Meanwhile, Swedish health authorities ruled last month that gender-based abortion is not illegal and therefore can't be stopped.

Screwed up if you ask me. Some people are downright pathetic.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I think people in the US is screwed up.

[_Simpson_ 250]

I think people in the US is screwed up.

Says man who wants to move to Sweden and probably should.

Edited June 12, 2009 by looking_up

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I bet it will sell like hot cakes in Indian black market. Sex determination is illegal in India, people who can afford go to places like Thailand just to get a sonogram and know the sex of the baby and a lot of times they obviously have an abortion if its a female fetus

Partly true. On books, it's illegal but doctors oft find ways to flout this (plus they always have the "plan B", as in bribe, approach if those fail).