Gender Determination: A New Evil
...ations, might be a legitimate tool of science in these situations. However, one clearly must try to prevent genetic engineering from being used in a frivolous or carefree manner. Some propose using this new advance for such mundane tasks as allowing parents to determine the sex of their child. Science has nothing to gain from such an application of this remarkable new advance. Moreover, permitting such abuse would be highly unethical. The promise of genetic engineering is a noble one: unlocking the secrets of the human race for the good of humanity. Talk of letting parents decide whether they want to have a girl or a boy cheapens the very notion of science. The goal of science is to solve great problems, not to focus on trivial issues. In addition, there are many risks in allowing gender determination to take place. It is quite possible that the ratio of males to females across the world could be dramatically altered. While thankfully the U.S. is relatively immune from this phenomenon, most cultures in the world express a strong preference for one sex or another. Only nature insures that an equitable balance exists. However, new techniques such as fetal screening are already upsetting the equilibrium in some places. In India, for example, women, responding to societal pressures, often get abortions if they find out they are carrying a girl. This has contributed to a gender imbalance of over forty million, creating great problems for Indian men. Similarly, in China, the one-child policy pressur...