Is it possible to influence in advance whether it will be a boy or a girl? There are wild theories about the procreation of the desired sex. The most widespread is the Shettles method named after its inventor.
First, a brief digression into biology: the sex of a child depends on the father's sperm cells, each of which contains a sex chromosome (also called a gonosome): either an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. Each female egg contains only the X chromosome. During conception, chromosome pairs are created - XX becomes a girl, XY becomes a boy - depending on which sperm cell enters the mature egg cell first and fertilizes it. According to the Shettles method, anyone who wants to influence the sex of their child can take advantage of this knowledge.
The right time
Sperm cells with X chromosomes are said to be slower, stronger and larger than sperm cells with Y chromosomes, which he describes as faster, weaker and smaller, according to research by American physician Dr. Landrum Shettles. According to Dr. Shettles, the X-chromosome sperm cells survive longer, while the Y-chromosome sperm cells die earlier.
Couples who want to have children can take advantage of this knowledge, Shettles said. If ovulation is a few days away, the chances of having a girl increase. He therefore recommends that those who want a girl have sexual intercourse two to four days before ovulation (and quietly before). Conversely, this means for all those who wish for a son: Schedule sexual intercourse on the day of ovulation and just before. To track the day of ovulation, the temperature method or symptothermal method is suitable.
What's on it?
Dr. Shettles and supporters of the method claim that it is 75-90% effective. However, the Shettles Method has not yet been proven safe in practice. On the contrary, an article in The New England Journal of Medicine states that there is no correlation between the timing of intercourse and the sex of the child.
The bottom line is that couples are, of course, allowed to choose a gender. However, the probability that it will be a boy or a girl is still a 50:50 chance.
Medically Reviewed
This text was created by medical editors on the basis of specialist medical literature and current studies. Our aim is to work scientifically, identify sources and regularly check that the content is up to date.
References & Literature
- Shettles, Landrum B.; David M. Rorvik: How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby: Fully revised and updated. 2006, S. 0–256.
- A. J. Wilcox, C. R. Weinberg, D. D. Baird: Timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation. Effects on the probability of conception, survival of the pregnancy, and sex of the baby. In: The New England Journal of Medicine. Band 333, Nummer 23, Dezember 1995, S. 1517–1521
