ICSI may be the resort for many couples who seek to achieve pregnancy, and with increasing scientific advancement it has become possible to determine the sex of the fetus during the ICSI procedure and to determine whether it will be male or female. So how is that done? And does it affect the cost of ICSI and gender selection?
When is the sex of the fetus determined? In the natural situation, the sex of the fetus (whether male or female) is determined by the sex chromosomes it carries. Females usually carry a pair of XX sex chromosomes, while males carry a pair of XY sex chromosomes. The sex of the fetus is determined based on the sex chromosome that the fetus receives from both the father and the mother together.
Usually, the sex of the fetus appears at a late stage of pregnancy, and it is usually identified through an ultrasound examination, while it is difficult to determine the sex accurately in the early period of pregnancy.
Meanwhile, in the case of ICSI, the sex of the fetus is determined before pregnancy and before injecting the fertilized egg into the mother's uterus.
The risks of gender selection: When the gender selection procedure is used in ICSI (PGD) to determine the sex of the fetus before implanting it in the mother's uterus, the following possible harms of the gender selection procedure in ICSI may result: 1. Surgical risks: There may be a surgical risk associated with the gender selection procedures, such as the risk of infections, bleeding, or pain in the treated area. 2. Risk of failure: The gender selection procedure may not be 100% accurate, and an error may occur in the analysis that leads to determining the sex of the fetus incorrectly. 3. Inconclusive results: It may sometimes be difficult to obtain conclusive and accurate results, as some results may appear unclear or ambiguous, and this can create a state of uncertainty about the sex of the fetus. 4. Psychological and emotional stress: Couples who undergo the gender selection procedure may face significant psychological and emotional stress, including anxiety about the health of the fetus and the effect of the sex results on their family and personal life.
The gender selection procedure: It is a procedure during which the biological sex of the fetus is determined before implanting it in the mother's uterus, by separating the male X and Y chromosomes from each other, then recombining the two desired chromosomes with each other to form XX if the desired sex of the fetus is female, or XY if the desired sex of the fetus is male.
Some clinics, in the regular ICSI procedure, also collect a number of eggs from the woman and fertilize them in the laboratory using sperm from the partner or a donor. Then the resulting embryos are implanted in the woman's uterus. A small sample is taken from the embryo after fertilization and before implanting it in the mother's uterus to determine its sex, and the decision to implant it in the uterus is made based on the results, whether it is male or female.
The success rate of the gender selection procedure: The success rate of the gender selection procedure in ICSI depends on several factors, including the technique used, the skill of the medical team performing it, the quality of the analysis itself, and the condition of the couple. The success rate may vary between different medical centers and countries, but in general the success rate of the gender selection procedure in ICSI is high in most cases, and much research indicates that success rates in gender selection ranging between 95-99% can be achieved. However, there may be some rare cases in which there is an error in the analysis or the results.
Taking into account that the success rate in gender selection may differ from the success rate of ICSI in general. ICSI may be successful in forming embryos and transferring them to the woman's uterus, but that does not guarantee one hundred percent success in determining the sex of the fetus.
The cost of the gender selection procedure: The cost of the gender selection procedure varies based on the country, the experience of the medical team, and the technique used. The costs of gender selection may include the following: 1. Costs of medical examinations: as it requires the use of techniques such as ultrasound or DNA analysis for the medical examinations, and these costs may vary based on the price of the examination in the country and the hospital. 2. The experience and competence of the treating medical team: this may entail additional costs with the increased experience of the treating doctor and his years of experience.
That is, it is difficult to determine a specific cost for the gender selection procedure, as this depends on several factors. Therefore, it is advised to contact us to obtain accurate information about the costs associated with gender selection in the ICSI procedure.
In which month is the sex of the fetus determined? The sex of the fetus is usually determined in the later months of pregnancy, when the fetus's external genital organs have fully formed, allowing the sex to be determined by ultrasound.
However, DNA techniques can be used to determine the sex of the fetus more accurately in the early months through DNA testing, such as amniotic fluid testing (amniocentesis), which provides accurate information about the sex.
Gender selection before pregnancy: As we mentioned, it is possible to determine the sex of the fetus before pregnancy through the ICSI technique, and this procedure is carried out by a specialized medical team. However, it should be noted that although this technique is usually accurate, it is not 100% reliable and there may be a possibility of error.
