Gender Selection - Choose the Sex of Your Baby

West Coast Fertility Centers has the technology to help you choose the sex of your baby. Our GenEnhance® Selection Program offers two scientific methods designed to increase the probability of a couple having a child of the desired gender.

How is Gender Determined?

At the time of conception, the sex of a baby is determined by the sex chromosome carried inside the sperm that fertilizes the woman's egg.

A sperm cell containing a "X" chromosome unites with the "X" chromosome in the female egg resulting in a "XX" pregnancy that produces a female child.

A sperm cell bearing a "Y" chromosome unites with the "X" chromosome in the female resulting in an "XY" pregnancy that produces a male child.

The fertilized egg starts to divide into many cells and is called an embryo. Once the egg becomes an embryo, its gender has already been determined as it passes through the fallopian tube and ultimately attaches inside the uterus.

How does GenEnhance ® work?
We offer our patients two options for gender enhancement.

Option 1: Sperm Separation Technique
A semen sample is processed in our laboratory by separating the "X" bearing (female) from the "Y" bearing (male) sperms. The result is a semen sample now enriched with the requested gender. This technique is timed to coincide with the woman's ovulation day and the sperm are placed in the uterus with a thin straw. This procedure is called intrauterine insemination (IUI). If the sperm and the egg unite in the fallopian tubes, an embryo develops and travels to implant in the uterus so that pregnancy may occur.

The Sperm Separation Technique results in the desired gender between 60% to 80%. There are several tests available that can determine if the female tubes and eggs are healthy.

Option 2: PGD Technique
It is now possible to remove one cell from an embryo formed in our laboratory by IVF. This embryo biopsy technique is called PGD and means that we can determine the "XX" or "XY" gender of any embryo with 99% certainty. Our patients can then select the embryos they wish to transfer into the intended mother's uterus. If the pregnancy occurs, the parents will have a child of the desired gender.

Pregnancy success rates will depend on several factors such as the mother's age, the embryo quality and the health of her uterus.

PGD may also be used to diagnose embryos which can carry genetic or chromosomal abnormalities resulting in miscarriage or birth defects. PGD is also useful for patients who have repeated pregnancy losses or after multiple IVF attempts when implantation does not occur. With advancing maternal age, PGD allows for selection of the best quality embryos which may then be transferred during an IVF procedure. Read more about PGD.