A controlled study for gender selection.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the success for gender selection of insemination with a sample of semen separated by a serum albumin density separation gradient. DESIGN: We retrospectively compared the gender outcome of conceptions of couples who conceived spontaneously with those who conceived secondary to an insemination with separated semen. SETTING: Private practice of one author (M.A.K.). PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: The study group consisted of 48 pregnancies of couples who conceived by the separation technique. The control group consisted of 46 pregnancies of couples who initially presented for consultation for gender selection but conceived spontaneously. INTERVENTIONS: In the study group, one timed intrauterine insemination with separated semen was performed per cycle, with a mean of 2.3 cycles per couple. Patients desiring a female were also treated with clomiphene citrate and human chorionic gonadotropin. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The gender outcome of the pregnancies of the two groups was evaluated based on the known desired gender. RESULTS: The success rate for conceiving a desired male was 56.5% in the study group and 60.9% in the control group (P = 1.000). Of couples seeking females, 78.6% of the procedure group versus 35.3% of the control group were successful (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: This study debates the albumin gradient as definitively enriching the proportion of Y-bearing sperm after in vitro separation.