The above is a link to a blog discussing the new JAMA article regarding non-invasive gender testing that can be done as early as seven weeks in the baby's gestation. Wow. That's early. Many women don't even know that they are pregant at seven weeks. How amazing it would be to go in for your first doctor's appointment and be told "Congrats, you're preganant, and it's a ______!". I think it would be cool to immediately begin calling the baby by the right name (if you had decided on a name already) or begin to decorate the nursery. If a pregnancy happened to end in loss, perhaps it would be easier for some to mourn for a child with a known gender? (Lee and I decided that our baby was a girl, and that helped us tremendously). How crazy is this new test? Of course if I had my way, I wouldn't find out the gender at all until the baby came out, though my planner of a husband would never let that happen. And I do think it seems kind of fun to have to wait until the baby either gets boy parts or girl parts to know what it is. So perhaps I wouldn't even take advantage of this new test?
I know that it's been brought up as a great way to find out if further testing is needed. Since some genetic disorders are more likely to affect one gender over another, I think it would be great to find out what the baby is and possibly avoid further, dangerous testing.
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| Fetus at Seven Weeks |
But... It brings up a lot of controversy. I'm not usually one to blog about controversial issues, but as my blog isn't that highly read, I feel like I can get away with it. Also, all of the blogs I have found concerning this subject so far are pro-choice, giving permission to abort the baby based only on gender.
I can't agree with that. Abortion is a subject that hurts my hard terribly to begin with (remember that I am pro-adoption, believing it to be a Christian duty to take care of the widows and orphans per James 1:27). I'm not going to argue about abortion or even really speak on it here as not to offend anyone. But I think that this research would provide more weight behind anti-abortion campaigns as it shows that there is life at conception. At seven weeks a baby is a boy or a girl. Not just a faceless fetus, but a child with a gender. That's amazing. It just blows my mind.
A lot of the blogs on this subject keep mentioning pro-choice. That term is hard for me. Because pro-choice means to me the choice to not have sex, or the choice to have protected sex. If you remain abstinent, there is no chance of unwanted pregnancy. If you don't want a baby, don't have sex. There is a choice. If you have sex, have protected sex. Most of the time, this means you won't have a baby. But sometimes the various forms of birth control fail (especially when used incorrectly). I guess I just don't understand how "pro-choice" is a good choice. A good choice for whom? For the mother? Because I don't see how the choice is good for the child who is not allowed to be born.
Sometimes I just want to tell people "Don't have an abortion, I'll take your baby." And that's actually true. If someone came to me and said "Please take my child or I'll have an abortion" I would do anything possible to get that child for myself or another safe, loving home. I totally know that some people aren't ready to be parents (though again I say that if you're not ready for the consequence of a baby, don't have sex), some people end up with unwanted pregnancies and simply can't handle it.
Perhaps I am being naive. Perhaps my religion is clouding the "rational" part of my brain. I just don't understand. Can't understand. Don't want to understand?
Like I said, I don't want to argue. Please don't think that I am passing judment or condemning anyone or their choices or beliefs. This is just a subject that is very close to my heart and very hard for me. I've written a lot, so I must think I have something to say about it!
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