Dickens B M, Serour G I, Cook R J, Qiu R-Z
Faculty of Law, Faculty of Medicine and Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2005 Aug;90(2):171-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2005.05.001.
This paper contrasts ethical approaches to sex selection in countries where discrimination against women is pervasive, resulting in selection against girl children, and in countries where there is less general discrimination and couples do not prefer children of either sex. National sex ratio imbalances where discrimination against women is common have resulted in laws and policies, such as in India and China, to deter and prevent sex selection. Birth ratios of children can be affected by techniques of prenatal sex determination and abortion, preconception sex selection and discarding disfavored embryos, and prefertilization sperm sorting, when disfavored sperm remain unused. Incentives for son preference are reviewed, and laws and policies to prevent sex selection are explained. The elimination of social, economic and other discrimination against women is urged to redress sex selection against girl children. Where there is no general selection against girl children, sex selection can be allowed to assist families that want children of both sexes.
本文对比了在女性受歧视现象普遍存在、导致女婴被选择性堕胎的国家，以及普遍歧视现象较少且夫妇对子女的性别没有偏好的国家，针对性别选择的伦理方法。在印度和中国等女性受歧视现象普遍的国家，出生人口性别比失衡促使政府出台法律和政策，以威慑和防止性别选择。产前性别鉴定与堕胎技术、受孕前性别选择与丢弃不想要的胚胎，以及当不受欢迎的精子未被使用时的受精前精子分选技术，都可能影响儿童的出生性别比。文中回顾了重男轻女的诱因，并解释了防止性别选择的法律和政策。文中敦促消除对女性的社会、经济和其他方面的歧视，以纠正针对女婴的性别选择行为。在没有普遍歧视女婴的情况下，可以允许进行性别选择，以帮助那些想要生育不同性别的子女的家庭。
