My daily sweep of CNN.com popped up an interesting article about an
over-the-counter gender prediction test. For $34.95, you can have a 78-80% accurate answer to whether you need to pick a boy or a girl name as early as 10 weeks after conception.
IntelliGender, creator of the "Boy or Girl Gender Prediction Test," says scientists isolated certain hormones that when combined with a "proprietary mix of chemicals" react differently if a woman is carrying a boy or a girl. It claims that within 10 minutes of taking the urine test, a woman will be able to tell her baby's gender. The specimen will turn green if it's a boy, and orange if it's a girl.
Many parents, myself included, are/were counting the days until that big 20 week ultrasound to find out what color to paint the nursery. The company does say not to do anything drastic until the results are confirmed by a doctor but you gotta admit knowing 10 weeks sooner is tempting.
Some worry that there is a darker side to it. Parents-to-be, upon finding out they are not getting the gender of their choice, may decide to abort and try again. The makers of the gender prediction test say they "categorically disagree" with the idea their test may prompt an increase in sex-selection abortions. The company won't sell to India or China because of national bias for males.
I'm done having babies but I'm unsure if I would use this myself if I wasn't. As impatient as I may be, being able to SEE my baby (via ultrasound) and hear "It's a boy/girl" is much more exciting than watching my pee change color in a cup. With my last baby we even considered waiting until the birth for the ultimate surprise. Sometimes waiting is worth it.
What do you think about this? Would you use it?
Comments (27)
never. i'm just the kind that likes surprises.
I'd wait for the ultrasound. And I admit ... as soon as I read this, I kept thinking, "isn't this just a waste of money?" Because it *could* be wrong (in a greater percentile than a doctor's test.) Besides ... I would think it'd be exciting to see your kid up there on the screen for the first time, and know... I couldn't wait until delivery (I need to plan things as much as possible) but I'd wait for the first ultrasound. Exciting.
No, I wouldn't use it. I had this very argument with a bunch of mamas on a pregnancy board recently, because we're all about 10 weeks along. A bunch were going out and buying it and I thought it was a big waste of money! I'm on a tight budget and that $35 could be used towards feeding and clothing my baby, or at least toward a night out with the husband or some sexy maternity clothes! Plus, the entire thing is a scam. It hasn't been proven to be any more accurate than the old "dangle your wedding ring from the father's hair over your stomach" or "pee in a cup of draino" or "determine using the chinese lunar calendar" methods. That's why people are cautioned not to go out and paint the nursery based on the results. Because it doesn't work. There have been "gender predicting" tests scamming pregnant women since the dawn of time, and I'm definitely not going to throw my 35 dollars toward some scam artists when I can get the same results flipping a coin.
I think it's pretty neat. As long as one understands it's not 100%, and if one can afford it- why not? Kinda fun :)
My last baby I waited until the birth, and though I am done having kids, IF I did have another, I'd wait until the birth to know the sex, but maybe I'd try something like this just for fun, but not rely on the results.
I've pretty much decided that when I have kids I want everyone else to know, but not me, until the baby shower.
I wouldn't take this test.
One thing I've noticed is that it's so hard to not find out the gender of the baby nowadays because there are so very few gender-neutral baby clothes! (At least in the more affordable stores...) My friend was having a baby and they couldn't determine the gender because of the umbilical cord. It was *right* in the way...so when we shopped for her shower everything was yellow, green, and very little purple. Most everything is standard pink and blue. She had a boy, so the colors worked fine. :)
I think I'd just wait until the ultrasound, it seems like a waste of money to pay for that when you can usually find out at the doctor's office 10 weeks later. You could buy a box of diapers for what you pay for the test.
I wonder how long this will last though considering there's another company called Acu-Gen that produces a similar test (it's a blood test instead of urine, though) and they're being sued by a group of women who got incorrect test results and weren't refunded their money. The Acu-Gen test was like $275 though, so I'd probably be a little ticked off too if I spent that much money only to get a wrong result.
It would be tempting for me because I'm always so impatient but I don't really have $30+ to waste playing around with it. If I did have the money though I might try it just for kicks.
I'm pregnant now, and I won't be using this test. I don't want to support anything that could serve to increase sex-selection abortions. Also, I agree that it's a waste of money. I'd rather wait for the ultrasound and have my doctor tell me.
oh this spells trouble....i hope that this is never made open to the mass public because would the rate of abortions SKYROCKET especially in the Asian countries like China.
WOW!!! and I thought going to walmart... unscrewing a bottle of a cleaner (I forgot the name but its got crystals in it) and spitting in it... waiting to see if it turned blue or stayed the same which would supposbly tell me what I am having as well.. (don't ask)... But No I'd still wait for the Dr to tell me... its not as accurate sa staring at the own gender of your child for the first time on the ultrasound...
Well let's put it this way. My boyfriends sister and her husband bought one of these very early on in her pregnancy and it said she was having a boy. In May she had a very healthy, very female, little girl. It certainly isn't going to hurt anything other than parting with money. If you don't care about that then who else should care.
By the way, if anyone aborts their baby because it's not the sex they wanted they shouldn't be parents in the first place. There is nothing wrong with preferring a gender but actually terminating the pregnancy if it doesn't turn out the way you want....trash.
I don't think I would. A friend of mine swears that if you mix drano and urine you can determine what you are having. If you are going to do anything for fun, I would just buy that it's a lot less and then you can use whatever is let over the next time you have a clogged sink.
@kieri126@xanga - It's actually not available in India and China for that reason. But it is available everywhere else.
I think I would rather wait the extra ten weeks. I was dying to find out the gender of my baby but something that says "chemical" on it is going to disappoint you a lot more than the pencil test if it's wrong.
I had two friends who took this test and BOTH times it was wrong.
The first one thought she was having a girl, and had a boy. The second one thought she was having a boy and just found out it's a girl. 
I wouldn't use it even if it was 100% accurate. We waited to find out the sex of our baby till the day he was born. It was so great hearing my husband say with such joy, and tears streaming down his face, that it was a boy. I wouldn't trade that moment for the world. If we have any more children then I want that same experience again.
I think i'm the first one to actually post that YES, I do plan to purchase this test. My boyfriend & I are TTC and we both agreed it would be fun to do. For one thing, I dont see $30 as being that much money. I spend more on coffee and magazines. For two, we wouldnt bank on the results of the test, but it would be fun to see. (a fun little experiment, if you will) And for three, we both want a girl AND a boy, so either way we will be excited with the result. The idea of this type of test is just cool to us, so when the day comes that we are able, we will try this out.
@neverdie373@xanga - oh good! thats def. more comforting to know....abortions because the baby is female is just something that is.....just....i dont even know.
Nope. 1) I don't trust 'em, 2) Nature gave me what I should have. What was I gonna do, shove her back in?
They are fun, but not accurate! I got two boxes (with four tests total) from friends and every single one said BOY! They were all taken at different stages of pregnancy, and were ALL wrong! I had a girl!
They are a cute idea though.. just expensive since they aren't too accurate!
I agree with some others. If someone or a couple would actually abort a child because it is not the gender wanted, then he/she/they should not be a parent/parents. One of my school's teacher's wife is pregnant and everybody asked him what they wanted. He said that he could tell we all weren't parents because when you find out you're to be a parent, then you shouldn't care about what it is, you should just want it to be safe, healthy, and happy.
Knowing me and my impulsiveness, I'd defiantly get it.
I would do it. I'm pregnant now and wanting to know. Yes, everyone has the comments about how the test was wrong and they delivered the opposite gender. Big deal, it's a toss up anyway. Before this test it was the ultrasounds that people said weren't 100% accurate. I'd like to know since we aren't independently wealthy and baby stuff is expensive. I am not a big fan of green or yellow either.
Now if there is a pee test you can take that would tell you if your baby is healthy or not...that's something I would surely take. My son, 8 years old now, was born dying. It's a horrible feeling to watch your newborn suffer. So, for me I am hoping this baby is just healthy.
Wow, what a gigantic waste of money!
You have a 50- 50 chance that it will be right. If people want to spend the money on that, that's fine. The only thing that I would be concerned about is the health of the baby.