In this session, presenters reviewed new developments related to prenatal and pre-pregnancy trait and sex selection practices and also raised concerns and strategic options for future work. Panelists considered both ongoing problems related to older technologies, and new technologies (especially non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis) that present ongoing issues. In addition, this session explored the overlap between sex selection and disability deselection, as both conversations involve a fraught relationship with reproductive “choice” and are often misrepresented in the public debate, illustrated most recently by some of the reactions to Mara Hvistendahl’s work. Together, these presentations converged around the idea that we cannot see trait selection as solely a local issue; flows of technology, people seeking trait selection, and women migrating to places where brides are now in demand all suggest the need for a globalized framework of analysis.
Documents Related to This Session