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Muscular dystrophy and sex selection
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Muscular dystrophy and sex selection

  1. <span  class="bbp-author-name">Nabby</span>
    Nabby

    Morning, let’s see if you can help me in some way… I have two children and both suffer from muscular dystrophy or MD. The thing is I’d like to find out whether it is a hereditary illness or not because I want to have another baby now and I don’t want him or her to develop it too. I’ve been told girls can’t develop this muscle disease so if it is true, I’d like to do sex selection at any rate, I don’t mind moving to another state or even country if it was necessary, so I’m open to any recommendation, please. Thank you very much, this means a whole lot to me.

    09/12/2015 at 11:14 am
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  2. Hi, I’m glad I found this forum because I’m very worried about this issue too. I’m a carrier of this genetic disorder, i.e. MD. I have no children yet but I’d like to in the future, and that’s why I’m so worried now. I’ve thought over sex selection but I’m not sure because I’m more a “natural” kind of person but I’m starting to realize I have no choice but to resort to it… Therefore, I’d like to have the chance to have a daughter because as far as I know females have lower chances of being carriers, am I wrong? But I’ve come to the conclusion that choosing girls may be far more expensive than choosing boys precisely because fertility clinics are aware of this, is it? So I don’t know what would be better, sex selection or picking only healthy embryos by means of PGD. What can you tell me about this? Hope I have made myself clear enough, thank you.

    09/13/2015 at 9:39 am
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  3. Gender selection or sex selection is legal in the US, although it is illegal in Canada. Many assisted reproduction clinics offer this option among many other assisted reproductive technologies. Many couples choose this option because they want a boy or a girl to complete their family, something that is called “family balancing”.

    Regarding if it affects only boys, it is true partially because it depends on which type of MD you have. For instance, Becker muscular dystrophy affects only boys with extremely rare exceptions; Duchenne muscular dystrophy also affects primarily males, but females who are carriers may experience mild symptoms as well; the limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, however, affects both boys and girls.

    Either way, my recommendation is that you visit a fertility clinic. A medical team of experts will help you choose the best option whatever your situation is.

    Best regards.

    09/14/2015 at 9:24 am
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