Reproductive Autonomy: Sex Selection as a Defining Case Study

Scientific advances enable parents to choose the sex of their offspring. This innovative technology has confronted society with the need to decide whether what is possible is also permissible, and under what terms. The debate over sex selection invokes various important issues, including gender stereotypes, discrimination of women, personal and parental reproductive autonomy, abortion, and more. As a result, different societies have made different determinations, reflecting their particular circumstances, social norms, culture, history, and religion. While some abstain from any formal regulation, which in effect allows unrestricted practices in respect to sex selection, others enforce a strict prohibition. Israel has chosen an intermediate position, conforming to the prevailing prohibitive stance (in Europe and Canada for instance), but allowing for certain exceptions. The Israeli regulations represent an authentic resolution of the issue that demonstrates Israel’s unique, autonomous bioethics status among Western liberal democratic nations.