From the New Zealand Herald comes a report on a new product, one that's raising some very serious questions. I print below excerpts from that story and afterward a few revealing items from the Q&A section of the IntelliGender site itself.The American-designed IntelliGender test kit, which can be used from eight weeks after conception, went on sale in Australia last month. Its Australian distributor hopes to launch it in New Zealand within a fortnight.
David Portnoy, managing director of Melbourne-based Early Image, said yesterday that he was negotiating with health products companies Douglas Pharmaceuticals and API to supply the kits to New Zealand pharmacies.
He expected they would sell for about $125. [The IntelliGender Gender Prediction Test site itself advertizes the product at only $34.95]
They do not test pregnancy, so do not require state approval under the Medicines Act, unlike pregnancy tests. To use the new test, a pregnant woman mixes her urine with the kit's chemicals in the supplied container. If it turns green or black, the fetus is a boy; orange or yellow indicate a girl.
The kits are claimed to be 90 per cent accurate, but because patents have not yet been issued, the maker will not reveal the supporting data or the science of how they work.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is worried about what the test might lead to.
"The concern we would have is that people would then terminate pregnancies on the grounds of sex selection," said college president Dr Ted Weaver.
Anti-abortion group Voice for Life echoes this concern. Spokesman Bernard Moran said abortions for sex selection were a problem overseas and the test would facilitate this in New Zealand. "Certain ethnic minorities here might be more prone to use it."
Mr Moran was concerned to learn that the approval of the Health Ministry's Medsafe unit was not required. He said that although abortions were not permitted for sex selection, they were permitted on grounds of the mental health of the woman, and the Abortion Supervisory Committee had acknowledged that the way this was applied meant New Zealand, in effect, had abortion on demand..
Medsafe group manager Stewart Jessamine said that until the maker of IntelliGender stated how it worked, "none of us know much about it as to whether it's anything better than a guess".
And now those points the IntelliGender Gender Prediction Test itself admits in their Q&A section:
What is the accuracy rate?
In laboratory results, IntelliGender Gender Prediction Test was proven over 90% accurate. IntelliGender regularly commissions independent surveys to compare real world results with laboratory results and real world results indicate 82%. The test is constantly being monitored for improvements.
What affects accuracy?
The variables that affect accuracy of the test results are the use of first morning urine (at least 2.5 hours from last void), consuming excessive amounts of liquid within three hours of performing the test, shaking the test versus swirling, not disturbing the test during the 10 minute wait period, having unprotected sex within 48 hours prior to taking the test. Also, pregnant women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome are most likely to receive a BOY result so the test is not able to accurately predict the proper gender. Women taking Progesterone are recommended not to take the test while on Progesterone unless the test is taken after 10 days from last dose.
Do doctors recommend the test?
The doctor’s role is to focus on the health of the baby and mother. The only way to get an accurate baby gender prediction is via a medical test such as an amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling test. In general doctors will not perform these invasive tests just for the purpose of baby gender prediction. Ultrasounds can provide a semi-accurate baby gender prediction as well, but wrong gender predictions are made regularly due to several factors, such as the stage of pregnancy, the technician and position of fetus, will influence the accuracy of the gender prediction during an ultrasound. To be 100% sure, women will have an anxious wait until the birth! [Note: the question is never answered.]
Can I paint the baby’s room after the test results?
IntelliGender does not recommend test users to make any financial, emotional or family planning decisions based on the test results. This includes painting a nursery!
