In this new millennium, patience is no longer a virtue. This instant gratification society does not want to wait for anything, so why are we still waiting 18 weeks after conception to figure out the gender of the unborn baby? Well, the folks at Intelligender wondered the same thing and decided that they could tell you in 10 weeks. As if pregnant women did not have to pee into/onto enough objects already, the Intelligender Gender Prediction Test can tell gender with an average 82% accuracy from a morning urine sample.
The device works by reacting with hormones in the urine sample, much like a pregnancy test. The mom-to-be simply needs to insert her urine into the jar and swirl vigorously in a circular motion before letting it sit for 10 minutes. After that, the urine should turn a color, which can be matched to the accompanying boy/girl color chart. With any luck, you will not be in the 18% of cases where the gender test is less than accurate. Either that, or perhaps it’s time to heavily consider naming the child Pat.
Of course, the underlying social issue that plagues this seemingly innocuous test is that of abortion. Yes, the A-word is upsetting to conservatives and religious people for many more reasons than we care to delve into here at Singularity Hub. The main concern, though, is that this test will enable couples to abort children based on gender. While gender-based abortion is not an uncommon occurrence in some areas of the world, like Asia, this test will be an inexpensive and nearly accurate way of disclosing that information to would-be discriminatory parents.
This is bothering to pro-life activists, who think that such an inexpensive method of gender testing (only $34.95 plus shipping and handling) would encourage more gender-based abortions. Okay, so this cheap and simple test might be more accessible to some people than the tried-and-true sonogram, but it seems that the mere expense of a sonogram (compared to that of raising a child) would not thwart a forward-thinking gender-selective parent.
So, will this new product bring forth more gender selectivity? Perhaps. But social issue aside, this home gender test is yet another way that technological advances have allowed humans to master the body. Although this product will not change the gender of the child, it is a small step forward towards a world where that will be possible. The future is unfolding right before our eyes and gender selection is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the powerful choices we will one day have to make for ourselves and our children.
