Can you really choose the gender of your baby?

Should parents have the power to choose the sex of their baby? An Aussie doctor breaks it down.

Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr Zac Turner explores whether you can choose your baby’s gender.

QUESTION: Dear Dr Zac, I’m a proud mum to four beautiful boys, but I’ve always dreamed of having a little girl. I’ve heard there’s new research and even special events around choosing the sex of your baby – but how much of that is actually true? I came across an article recently about gender-selective pregnancies overseas, which honestly sounded a bit scary. Is there any real science behind gender selection, or is it just another gimmick targeting hopeful mums like me? – Courtney 39, Gold Coast

ANSWER: Hi Courtney, It’s a great question – and a big one. Gender selection sits right at the intersection of science, ethics and deeply personal family decisions. And yes, you’re absolutely right to feel like this is popping up more in conversations and even at so-called “information nights”.

Let’s start with the science. The only proven way to choose the sex of your baby is through Preimplantation Genetic Testing, which happens as part of IVF (in vitro fertilisation). This involves creating embryos in a lab, then testing a few cells from each one to screen for genetic conditions – and in the process, revealing the embryo’s sex chromosomes (XX for girls, XY for boys).

Some overseas clinics – particularly in the United States – allow patients to use this information purely to select the sex of their baby. But here in Australia, that’s not allowed unless there’s a serious medical reason, such as avoiding sex-linked genetic diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Even then, it has to go through a strict ethics approval process.

The only proven way to choose the sex of your baby is through Preimplantation Genetic Testing, which happens as part of IVF. Picture: iStock

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) guidelines are clear: non-medical gender selection isn’t permitted. So if someone is advertising ways to choose your baby’s sex outside of IVF or for non-health-related reasons, they’re either pushing questionable science – or bending the rules.

You mentioned seeing events in your city. That wouldn’t surprise me. There’s been a quiet rise in “fertility tourism,” where some Australian families go overseas to access services that aren’t available here. A 2022 report on the ABC Health Report detailed this trend, and it raised some big questions around access, ethics, and the role of privilege in fertility choices.

At the same time, there’s a growing number of “natural” gender selection methods being promoted: sperm sorting, timing intercourse based on ovulation, and eating certain diets to influence pH levels.

Should you be able to choose your baby's gender? Picture: Supplied

I hate to break it to you, but the science just isn’t there.

A 2020 review published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online found no solid evidence that these techniques reliably influence a baby’s sex. In reality, most of these methods are just dressed-up wishful thinking.

Now, zooming out a bit – your mention of India is important. The country has long struggled with gender-selective termination due to cultural preferences for sons. Since 1994, it’s been illegal for doctors there to reveal the sex of a baby during pregnancy scans, precisely to prevent this kind of discrimination.

But enforcement is patchy, and in some regions, the gender imbalance remains stark. It’s a confronting example of how access to sex selection, when paired with societal bias, can create deep long-term issues.

There’s a growing number of “natural” gender selection methods being promoted. Picture: iStock

That’s why we tread so carefully here in Australia. A 2017 study in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that the vast majority of Australians are opposed to gender selection for non-medical reasons. People are rightly concerned that allowing it could open the door to reinforcing gender stereotypes – or worse, shifting social norms around what makes a “preferred” child.

That said, I want to acknowledge how deeply human this desire can be. I’ve had many patients – often those with two or more children of the same sex – ask, gently and sometimes sheepishly, if there’s anything they can do to “try for a girl” or “finally get their boy”. These aren’t people with bad intentions. They’re just parents dreaming of a particular shape for their family. And while that’s totally understandable, it’s important to approach it with facts, not false hope.

So, is gender selection real? Yes, in specific, medically justified IVF contexts. But if someone’s offering shortcuts – no IVF, no ethics review, just a supplement or a schedule – it’s likely not backed by real science.

When in doubt, speak with a licensed fertility specialist. They’ll walk you through what’s legal, what’s ethical, and what’s just clever marketing.

Sometimes the most powerful thing medicine can do is help us understand what can’t be controlled – and make peace with it.

Dr Zac.

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Dr Zac Turner is a medical practitioner specialising in preventative health and wellness. He has four health/medical degrees – Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Sydney, Bachelor of Nursing at Central Queensland University, and Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. He is a registrar for the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, and is completing a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (UNSW). Dr Zac is the medical director for his own holistic wellness medical clinics throughout Australia, Concierge Doctors.

Originally published as Can you really choose the gender of your baby?