Boy or Girl or chimera?

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by allieyoung666

i was like that I did not care as long it was fit and healthy, playing god is wrong, what ever next!!!!

I wouldn't care, but I don't think it's wrong that others do either. Live and let live. I don't think it's playing God (as I am not a believer). I think it's progressive science.

[allieyoung666]

Both my sons have Asthma and various other illnesses, But dont you think that later in life that these genes can become faulty, thus eventually getting certain diseases such as asthma, copd , renal failure. And if a person decides to abuse a perfectly designed body, dont you think the GMC will be pretty miffed, you cannot programme a persons mind to say: you will not drink and you will not smoke. Just because you desgin a baby it does not mean that the baby will delivered without a faulty gene, with perfection there is often imperfection I am sad to say.

[Ramrod]

I agree with orangebird.
Also--it will happen......it's just a matter of time. I don't see whats wrong with selecting sex (or for that matter, hair/eye colour). Saying that we are playing god isn't exactly a rational argument against it. Saying that it's against nature isn't an argument either. Thats just expressing wooly sentiments.
*kevlar flame proof suit on*

[allieyoung666]

look at the end of the day when you go and make a baby all the frameworks are there, it is going to be like when you take a top back to a shop becasue you do not like the color, come on, so you mean to tell me you would change yourself if you had the chance, Im bloody sure I wouldnt and Im only 5.1 tall!!

Originally Posted by ZrByte

What about changing the sex of the child born to take away the risk of it being born with congenital dissorders that normally only males can be born with? A large number of cengenital dissorders do only effect one gender (normally male) and this could be avoided simply by making your child a girl.

And perhaps simply have a carrier instead? (Since in those very same conditions you mention a woman can often be a non-symptomatic carrier)

I don't see the advantage of that at all - just means it pops up again later somewhere else.

[allieyoung666]

Originally Posted by ScaredWebWarrior

And perhaps simply have a carrier instead? (Since in those very same conditions you mention a woman can often be a non-symptomatic carrier)

I don't see the advantage of that at all - just means it pops up again later somewhere else.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by allieyoung666

look at the end of the day when you go and make a baby all the frameworks are there, it is going to be like when you take a top back to a shop becasue you do not like the color, come on, so you mean to tell me you would change yourself if you had the chance, Im bloody sure I wouldnt and Im only 5.1 tall!!

Would I change myself?......Absolutely!
For starters, I would love to have been given that gene that protects some of us from flu/colds/hiv............a greater proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers..........better memory..........stronger muscles.........denser bones.........greater resistance to osteoarthritis.
The list goes on.......I'm very happy with what I have got (thank you God/Allah/my parents) but there is always room for improvement.

Originally Posted by Ramrod

I'm very happy with what I have got (thank you God/Allah/my parents) but there is always room for improvement.

Yo! Speak for yourself!

[Flubflow]

Originally Posted by scastle

I wasn't actually arguing that Gender selection should not be allowed at all. I can see the sense in Gender selection if there is a valid medical reason. I just don't think we should be encouraging it otherwise.

I know you weren't.
I was just adding some facts to support your statement in case anyone else asked precisely what medical reasons one would need in order to request a specific gender.

[allieyoung666]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Would I change myself?......Absolutely!
For starters, I would love to have been given that gene that protects some of us from flu/colds/hiv............a greater proportion of fast twitch muscle fibers..........better memory..........stronger muscles.........denser bones.........greater resistance to osteoarthritis.
The list goes on.......I'm very happy with what I have got (thank you God/Allah/my parents) but there is always room for improvement.

osteoathritis os a disease which evolves from a faulty gene and it is very hard to detect in the very early stages, If you had gene that could immunise you against the above, it simply would not work becasue eventually your body starts to fail as you get older and you will have lost your immunity, so you would not have had immunity built up from years ago, which is how your immuine system is built up, you would die bascially. The rest you need to join a gym and then you can delvop greater reflexes and study as this is the only way you will devlop a greater memory. Cheating never does anyone any good and eventuallly it all goes wrong

[ZrByte]

Originally Posted by ScaredWebWarrior

And perhaps simply have a carrier instead? (Since in those very same conditions you mention a woman can often be a non-symptomatic carrier)

I don't see the advantage of that at all - just means it pops up again later somewhere else.

Ok, heres how it would go.....
Situation 1: have a boy with a 50/50 chance of getting it (if he has it he will also be a carrier) If he does have the dissorder he will have either a difficult life or a normal one cut short when the dissorder finally cuts in.

Situation 2: Have a girl who lives a perfectly normal LONG life (providing no unforseen circumstances) who still has the same odds of inheriting the gene as a male sibling but whom will never suffer from it.

I know wich I would choose And I would say not suffering with the dissorder would be one big advantage, wouldnt you?

Though when further gene manipulation becomes possible it would be possible to irradicate any genetic dissorder thus rendering the medical need to choose gender null and void.
__________________

Originally Posted by Mick

I come from a large family, I have three brothers and one sister, my mum had twins, a boy and a girl & it was totally natural & wouldn't of wanted it to be any other way.

The twins were born last and I was 9 years old when my mum gave birth to them, yet I remember, I longed for a sister just as much as my mum and dad longed for a daughter. The day they were born, was one of the happiest days the whole family had ever lived.

I am trying to think of the potential, psychological, long term damage this might do to someone should they discover their sex was pre-selected before they were born.

Reminds me very much of the film Gattaca, a film about advanced genetic engineering, that makes it possible for the creation of biologically superior human specimens known in the film as 'valids', who then grow to positions of power and prestige. Whilst those born the old-fashioned way are treated with prejudice and treated as rejects and given the crap left-over jobs.

Let's hope we won't ever come close to this way of thinking in the future, but looking back at this subject of choosing to have a boy or a girl, we are on that path already it seems.

I have been trying to think of the name of that film all day, thank you (green rep on the way).
And yes I agree, this is when it becomes immoral, when a true designer baby becomes possible.

[downquark1]

What reason is there for people to choose the gender of their children? I have every confidence in scientific development, but unless you have very specific circumstances (of which I can't even think of an example) choosing the sex of a baby doesn't benefit the child or greater society.

[Flubflow]

Originally Posted by ZrByte

Ok, heres how it would go.....
Situation 1: have a boy with a 50/50 chance of getting it (if he has it he will also be a carrier) If he does have the dissorder he will have either a difficult life or a normal one cut short when the dissorder finally cuts in.

Situation 2: Have a girl who lives a perfectly normal LONG life (providing no unforseen circumstances) who still has the same odds of inheriting the gene as a male sibling but whom will never suffer from it.

I know wich I would choose And I would say not suffering with the dissorder would be one big advantage, wouldnt you?

Like I have already said, only more gracefully
__________________

Originally Posted by downquark1

What reason is there for people to choose the gender of their children? I have every confidence in scientific development, but unless you have very specific circumstances (of which I can't even think of an example) choosing the sex of a baby doesn't benefit the child or greater society.

See above

[allieyoung666]

No people who pick the gender of their child is shallow, I would have loved girl, but I would not waste my time or money on something like this, Majority of alements lay dormant untill something triggers such as stress, you cannot change that. I am sorry to say what you get is what you have got so get on with it!!!!

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by allieyoung666

No people who pick the gender of their child is shallow,

In your opinion....

I would have loved girl, but I would not waste my time or money on something like this, Majority of alements lay dormant untill something triggers such as stress, you cannot change that. I am sorry to say what you get is what you have got so get on with it!!!!

For some peolpe it goes deeper than just want...for some it's desperation, and that they maybe DO have the time and money. And you can't trigger an ailment that's not there in the first place.

PS - Don't take this the wrong but, you're a nurse and you can't spell ailment??