In developed countries, the routine testing of older pregnant women, combined with the availability of abortion, has significantly reduced the incidence of conditions like Down syndrome. In some regions of India and China where couples are anxious to have a son, selective abortion has been the ultimate form of sexism, and has been practiced to such an extent that a generation is coming of age in which males face a shortage of female partners.
子女的筛选会造成更加深刻的伦理问题。这并不新鲜。在发达国家，对高龄孕妇的常规检查，佐以人流手段，极大地减少了唐氏综合症等疾病的发生率。在印度和中国某些重男轻女的地区，选择性流产已经成为性别歧视的终极形式，情况之严重已导致整整一代适龄男性面临女性配偶不足的窘境。