Embryo selection technology, also known as gender selection or sex determination, is a procedure aimed at enabling couples to choose the gender of their baby, whether male or female, through ICSI.

Under normal circumstances, the likelihood of any child being of a particular gender is approximately 50%; typically, 102–106 boys are born for every 100 girls. The gender of each embryo is determined by two chromosomes, one inherited from the mother and the other from the father. The type of inherited chromosomes (either X or Y) determines the baby’s gender. So, who is responsible for determining the gender of the baby—the father or the mother? We will clarify this in the following paragraphs.

Baby gender:

Humans possess two sex chromosomes, one inherited from each parent, which influence their characteristics. Individuals with two X chromosomes are females, while individuals with one X chromosome and one Y chromosome are males.
Since females have an X chromosome, they can only contribute an X chromosome to their offspring. On the other hand, males with both X and Y chromosomes can contribute either an X or a Y chromosome to their offspring. Therefore, male sperm cells are responsible for determining the gender of the embryo.

If the sperm that fertilizes the wife’s egg contains a Y chromosome, the embryo will be male. If the sperm carries an X chromosome, the embryo will be female.

Why might you want to select the gender of the baby?

Medical reasons for undergoing gender selection:
• Prevention of gender-related diseases: There are hundreds of known genetic diseases that affect males only, such as hemophilia. Couples with a family history of these diseases can benefit from embryo selection technology to choose the gender of the embryo, reducing the likelihood of their children being affected by a serious illness by conceiving a girl.
• Avoiding diseases that preferentially affect one gender over the other, such as lupus, which is more prevalent among females with a ratio of 9 to 1.

Non-medical reasons for undergoing gender selection:
• Desire to have an equal number of children of both genders to achieve family balance.
• Rebuilding the family after the loss of a child.
• Family preference for a specific gender due to economic, cultural, or social reasons.

Your dream of having a balanced and healthy family can become a reality with Professor Dr. Adham Zaazaa, Consultant in Andrology and ICSI, and Professor of Andrology and Fertility Surgeries at Cairo University, through selecting the gender of your future child. With Professor Dr. Adham Zaazaa, you will be in safe hands with guidance and care at every step through ICSI.

ICSI for gender selection:

The gender can be determined through the sperm microinjection into the egg under a microscope, a procedure known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Those who wish to choose the gender of their child will undergo similar protocols and treatments as women and men using assisted reproductive techniques such as ICSI. The process typically involves the following steps:
Ovarian Stimulation: The wife takes medications to stimulate the production of several mature and high-quality eggs. These stimulation medications are usually started on days 2-4 of the natural menstrual cycle and taken for about 10 days. The more eggs produced, the higher the chances of having embryos of the desired gender.

Egg Retrieval: The eggs are collected from the ovaries approximately 12 days after starting the stimulation medications, taking into account the individual medical response of egg development as they are measured and monitored by ultrasound and blood tests. The mature eggs are immediately transported to the embryology laboratory.

Embryology Laboratory: These collected eggs are fertilized using the husband’s sperm to create embryos via ICSI.

Embryo Biopsy: After fertilization, the embryos grow in the laboratory for 5-7 days. Each embryo consists of two different sets of embryonic tissues. One of these tissue groups will become the embryo, while the other will become the placenta. A specialized and highly focused laser is used to remove a small number of cells (usually 3 to 6 cells) from the cell group that will become the placenta. These cells are then processed and quickly sent to the genetics laboratory.

Embryo Freezing: After the embryo biopsy procedure is completed, the embryos are frozen, allowing time to receive the results of genetic testing without affecting the quality or chances of successful embryo transfer.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD):

The chromosomal test on the embryos is performed in the embryology laboratory. The test reveals the chromosomal composition of the fertilized egg and determines whether it carries the XX or XY chromosomes. This information allows for the transfer of only healthy embryos of the desired gender into the wife’s uterus during the embryo transfer procedure. Any remaining healthy embryos can be preserved by freezing and storing them for future use.

This procedure is available at the fertility clinic of Professor Dr. Adham Zaazaa, a consultant in andrology and ICSI and a professor of andrology and fertility surgery at Cairo University.

Gender selection for newborns is available to all families:

For those undergoing fertility treatments, the option to choose the gender of the baby is available through genetic evaluation of the embryos. This choice is available to all fertility patients, whether currently undergoing treatment or those with frozen eggs or embryos for future pregnancies. Couples who do not have fertility issues may also choose to undergo ICSI for gender selection.

Success rates for gender selection:

Parents can determine the gender of the baby during the ICSI journey. Due to the fertility doctor’s ability to determine the XX or XY chromosomes in the embryo using PGD testing, the gender selection process is approximately 99.9% accurate. However, not all patients can produce healthy embryos of the desired gender due to factors related to age, egg health, and sperm quality. Professor Dr. Adham Zaazaa ensures detailed study and preparation to achieve the best success rate in dealing with these factors.

Whether the choice of gender is for medical or elective reasons, the success rates of gender selection using PGD testing are very high.

Religious guidelines allow for selecting the gender under specific regulations and conditions, so as not to become a widespread phenomenon or cause imbalances in society. You can find detailed information on this matter on the official website of Dar Al-Ifta.

Although many couples decide to undergo genetic testing as part of the ICSI, it is considered an additional procedure and not part of the core costs of the ICSI process.

If you are hoping to have a boy or dreaming of a girl, take your first step now and schedule an appointment with the expert medical team of Professor Dr. Adham Zaazaa and complete your family with a healthy child of the desired gender.