There are many different medical, social, economic or cultural circumstances which put couples under the most intense pressure to produce a child of a specific gender. Scientists have identified thousands of health problems where genes play a part and many gender-related medical disorders can be passed from parent to child.

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a medical procedure which allows embryos to be tested for gender-related genetic conditions, prior to being placed in the womb, giving the best opportunity to select the gender of your baby.

The International Institute for Gender Selection, along with all its partners at the Kentucky Center for Reproductive Medicine & IVF, Andrology Institute of America and Home Fertility Network, is the foremost PGD Gender Selection and Ooocyte Donation referral centre in the World. Professor Dr. Zavos is one of the pioneering and world-renowned Infertility experts offering PGD services for family balancing along with all other forms of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). Dr. Zavos maintains the appropriate centers in the U.S. and in Europe where he refers all of his patients for their treatment.

Of the successful pregnancies resulting from this process, 100% of the babies born have been of the selected gender.

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) involves proven and adequately tested Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) which are quite safe, reliable and ethically acceptable. In-vitro Fertilization is now widely adopted and it is used as the basis of all of our gender selection programs.

Who can benefit from PGD?

Either one of a couple carrying a single Gene defect, by testing for specific genetic disorders Women aged 35+, by testing for age-related chromosomal disorders Younger women with repeated unexplained miscarriages, by testing for chromosomal disorders Couples wanting to balance their family.

What is PGD?

Two days after fertilisation, embryos consist of eight cells and are the size of this full stop. Science is now so advanced, that at this stage is it possible to safely remove a single cell, analyse it for a range of gender-specific chromosomal disorders and ensure only unaffected embryos are implanted in the womb. This specialist technique is called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD). A single cell, carrying material used to support the Foetus's development, is removed from the Embryo and its Chromosome structure is analysed in carefully controlled laboratory conditions, with the X and Y chromosomes clearly distinguishable. The removal of a single cell does not damage the embryo's development in any way, and each embryo will continue to grow normally.

Why PGD?

Babies born with chromosome abnormalities occur in 1 in 1,000 births in women aged 30 or younger 1 in 350 births by 35 1 in 100 births by 40 and ultimately 1 in 25 births by 45. The purpose of PGD is to select only healthy embryos (for the chromosomes we can so far test for) for implantation in the hope of achieving more pregnancies, less spontaneous abortions and less affected offspring.