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Taking the Guess Out of the Gender Game: Ethical Issues in Pre-Conception Sex Selection
McShane, Franny
McShane, Franny
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Abstract
“It’s a boy” or “It’s a girl”! These two simple sentences are by far the most exciting news
a mother and father hear in their careers as parents. It’s a flip of a coin, 50 – 50, boy or girl.
What if, that ratio could be predicted or even ensured to go in your favor? With technology
advancing as fast paced as it is in the world, this chance game of gender may be completely
negated. As this is an advance in medical-based technology, nurses may be involved in the
genetic aspects and help facilitate the decision-making process of a family choosing whether or
not to use this technology. Therefore, nurses need to become more educated in this area of
research and begin to understand the variety of ramification of this advance. According to the World
Health Organization (2011), this technology could be seen as a preconception form of sexism
and could result in the ultimate imbalance of gender in the world. Inevitably, a line must be
drawn. The purpose of this paper is to explore these pros and cons of the ethical dilemma
created by this new technology as well as its importance in the nursing profession. To begin to
discuss the implications, one must understand the process itself and the consequences it creates.
Description
About the author: Mary (Franny) McShane is from Fairway, Kansas. While at the School of Nursing she received clinical excellence awards for all three levels. She was the James R. Wright IV Scholarship recipient. She plans to start her nursing career at the University of Kansas Hospital and eventually would like to become an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse.
Date
2013-08-01
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Keywords
Family Planning, Pre-Conception, Ethics