As an expression of cultural pressure or simply individual preference, the desire to control the gender of one's child is an old one. Different cultures have longed claimed to have secret knowledge of gender selection. Modern science may be capable of verifying some of these practices, but the process of natural selection needs to be understood first.


Female sex cells are all female in that they carry the X chromosome only. Male sex cells have a 50 percent chance of being male or female. Most selection methods, including the modern technological processes, target sperm. However, the differing characteristics of sperm carrying the X versus Y chromosome make it possible to change the winner of the race to the ripened egg by altering the track instead of the runners.

The Female's Choice After All?

Sperm cells carrying the X or Y gamete prefer different levels of acidity. The Y sperm cells move faster and live longer with a pH in the alkaline range, and X cells have a stronger chance with acidic environs. This provides the first clue of how to choose gender. Though not a sure thing by any means, monitoring the acidity of the vagina can provide the opportunity to alter it by eating different foods.

The general rule is vegetables and oily fish contribute to increased acidity and the chance of conceiving a girl. Higher amounts of protein increase the chance of having a boy. Female ejaculate is produced in increasing amounts with each orgasm, and the ejaculate, which is an internal secretion, promotes alkalinity favorable to the chromosome sperm.

Length of the Track


Studies have shown males have some control over gender selection during sex by controlling the depth of penetration during ejaculation. Male sex cells tend to be fast runners, but they tire out quickly. Female sperm start out slower, but they can travel for longer distances. Placing the ejaculate further from the cervix, therefore, increases the possibility of conceiving a girl.

Lunar Charge

Reproductive researchers have made attempts to verify some of the age-old myths surrounding fertility. Not surprisingly, few in modern science have taken them seriously, but this disdain may be unjustifiable arrogance. The lunar theory of fertility claims women are fertile under the moon sign they are born under, a once per month event. These signs flip between yin and yang aspects, which accounts for gender selection.

It may sound fantastical, but Russian scientists discovered male and female sperm give off different electrical charges in the 1930s. Ripened ovaries likewise give off a charge, and this changes to attract either X or Y sperm while repelling the other. It may be the moon plays a role in determining the ovum charge.

New Technologies Most of these techniques have been around for a while and are merely being confirmed by modern science. Reproductive scientists have added their own technology-based methods to the mix. The Microsort process and albumin method are both used to separate X and Y cells from sperm samples for artificial insemination. The only 100 percent sure way of choosing sex is with preimplantation genetic haplotyping, which is a new and expensive technology also used to screen for genetic diseases.
Modern methods make it possible to choose your baby's gender at conception. Simpler methods can increase the likelihood of having your choice. Gender selection is not necessarily wrong, nor does it require advanced technology.

Samantha Stevens is a full-time blogger for parenting web sites and magazines. For more information on pregnancy and gender selection, check out this ovulation calculator.