Comment on the public perception of sex selection for non medical reasons and the legal framework in the UK):
Sarah Norcross, Director of PET, said:
Research commissioned by PET last year – conducted by Ipsos – asked whether people undergoing privately funded fertility treatment in the UK should be able to choose the biological sex of their child (for non-medical reasons).
Overall, permitting sex selection was opposed by 57% of the UK public, and was supported by only 28%. However, there was an interesting and statistically significant generational divide.
Younger age bands were more likely to support people being able to choose the biological sex of their child. For example, 50% of the UK public aged 16-24 supported the permitting of sex selection, and only 35% within this age band opposed the permitting of sex selection.
At present, in the UK, it is not permitted to choose the sex of a child for non-medical reasons. There was a loophole in the 1990 legislation that originally governed this area, but this loophole was closed in 2008.
‘Fertility, Genomics and Embryo Research: Public Attitudes and Understanding’ , Progress Educational Trust, June 2022, p11. Ipsos interviewed a sample of 2,233 adults aged 16-75 in UK using its online i:omnibus between 24 and 27 March 2022. Data has been weighted to the known offline population proportions for age, working status and social grade within gender and Government office region.