In vitro fertilization, or IVF, is an assisted reproductive technique that has helped many people conceive after struggling with infertility. At CCRM Fertility, IVF oversees each stage of conception to bypass common causes of infertility (including unexplained infertility) and increase the chance of pregnancy.
IVF can be extremely beneficial to those of our patients who have been unsuccessful at conceiving after a year or more of trying. Beyond addressing fertility concerns, IVF can offer prospective parents gender selection. IVF for a boy or girl gives people the chance to select the genetic sex of their child, for personal or medical reasons.
IVF Overview
Before explaining the gender selection process through IVF, let’s go over the general stages of IVF treatment. The primary stages of IVF are: ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilization, and embryo transfer. Each stage of treatment assists with one area of conception so that we address potential fertility concerns throughout, and make it significantly more likely that our patients will get pregnant.
- Ovarian stimulation – During ovarian stimulation, the prospective mother (or a surrogate) takes prescribed fertility medication to stimulate the ovaries and promote the production of multiple mature eggs.
- Egg retrieval – During a minimally invasive procedure, released eggs are extracted from the uterus.
- Fertilization – Collected eggs are mixed with a concentrated sperm sample (from either the father or a donor). Eggs are monitored in a laboratory setting and successfully fertilized eggs are tested for viability.
- Embryo transfer – The most viable embryo, or embryos, are implanted directly into the female’s uterus, in the hopes that they will implant to the uterine lining and result in a successful pregnancy.
Sex Selection Through IVF
To promote the success of IVF treatment, all fertilized embryos are tested for viability. This testing allows us to identify genetic abnormalities that could negatively affect pregnancy success, or genetic diseases that could interfere with the child’s health.
If our Scottsdale patients are interested in sex selection, our fertility specialists can perform preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) to identify the genetic sex of each embryo. To perform PGT, a few cells are taken from each embryo. Genetic analysis of these cells determines which have an xy chromosome pairing (boys) and which have an xx chromosome pairing (girls). Finally, viable embryos of the desired sex are selected for embryo transfer.
Why Consider Sex Selection?
Many people are happy to have a successful, healthy pregnancy, regardless of the child’s sex. However, there are several personal and medical reasons that may make someone consider sex selection. The most common reasons for sex selection through IVF include:
- To prevent passing on a sex-linked genetic diseases
- Family balancing
- Personal preference or other nonmedical reasons
