In recent days, Vivian Muskthe transgender daughter of Elon Musk born in 2004 through techniques of Medically assisted procreation (PMA), he released a statement on Threads in which he says that his father would have opted for “sex selection” to give her born male. By PMA we mean a set of procedures that help couples with fertility problems conceived a child. Within these techniques, there is the possibility of carrying out the “Selection of sex”, also erroneously called “Gender Selection”, or the choice of the sex of the unborn child. It is important to distinguish “sex“understood as biological characteristics (chromosomes, hormones, reproductive organs) and gender or “gender identity“Which is personal identification as male, female, both or none of the two, a social and psychological construct.
But is it really possible to select the biological sex of the unborn child when using these techniques? The answer is yes, from a technical point of viewbut in most countries, including theItalythis practice is prohibited for ethical and moral reasons. However, it is allowed in some cases to prevent genetic diseases related to sex chromosomes. The selection can take place through different ways, including i test Genetics pre -implantation (Pgt), which allow to analyze the embryos before their plant in the maternal uterus and to select those of the desired sex. Outside the human sphere, the selection of sex, a controversial theme between scientific and ethical progress, is used in the beef industry through the technique of “Seme Semato“.
What is the selection of sex and how to make this practice prohibited in Italy
The idea that it is possible to choose the sex of a child may surprise, but it is technically feasible. However, for this to happen, the fertilization it must not take place naturally, but through the PMA. These assisted fertilization techniques help couples with fertility problems, facilitating the meeting between spermatozoa and eggs in the laboratory. Methods such as the Fivet el ‘ICSI They allow you to fertilize the egg outside the woman’s body. After a few days of development, the embryo is made up of several cells in the blastocyst stage and can be subjected to a pre-system genetic test (Pgt) to analyze its DNA and chromosomes. If the embryo has a chromosome X and one Ywill be male; If it has two chromosomes Xwill be female. At this point, the embryo with the desired characteristics can be implanted in the uterus.
In most countries in the world, this practice is allowed only for medical reasonslike the prevention of hereditary diseases linked to sex chromosomes, and is prohibited For non -therapeutic purposes. However, in United Statesaccording to an article of theAstm (American Society for Reproductive Medicine) published in 2022, no state explicitly prohibits its practice, also allowing it for personal reasons. In Europeon the other hand, the selection of sex is prohibited, although the regulations vary from country to country, making the framework complex. In Denmark, Finland, England, Portugal and Spain is allowed only for medical reasons. It is also prohibited in Canada, while in Israel it is allowed only in exceptional cases after approval.
In Italythe Law 40/2004 regulates access to the PMA e prohibits all eugenics (set of theories and practices aimed at improving the genetic quality of a certain population), including the selection of sex for non -medical reasons. There Constitutional Courtwith sentences n. 96 and n. 229 of 2015, confirmed that pre-plant genetic diagnosis is allowed only for detect genetic diseases And not to choose features such as the sex of the embryo.
The “seed sexted”: a particular case of biological sex selection
A particular case of sex selection occurs in thecattle breedingwith the use of the so -called “Seme Semato“. Here the selection takes place directly on spermatozoa before fertilization, allowing artificial insemination with frozen seminal material that offers a high probability of obtaining lives of female sex (chromosome x).
This technique is widely used in the milk cattle industry for optimize productivity farms. The separation of spermatozoa is based on the differences between the X and Y chromosomes: the X chromosome is bigger and contains more DNA Compared to AY, therefore it can be distinguished and selected with advanced technologies such as interfluorimetry or laser.
