The urge to select children's sex is not new and may be traced back to the Sth century. Effective pre-natal determination of gender through amniocentesis became available in 1 970s. Decriminalisation of abortion afforded choice about continuation of pregnancy. Recently preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) eliminated the need for abortion for gender selection, and improved techniques of sperm sorting have ensured the sex of the foetus. These new techniques make preselection of gender acceptable to those opposed to abortion.