An immoral sideline

THERE are good reasons why fertility clinics are banned by British law from selecting the sex of embryos they implant, except for pressing medical reasons.

This immoral practice – increasingly widespread in cultures where boys are prized above girls, or vice versa – is a chilling step towards a brave new world of eugenics and designer babies.

This is why it is so disturbing that a Mail investigation has found UK doctors assisting sex selection privately.

Charging up to £14,000, and sometimes using NHS premises, they conduct initial tests in Britain and send patients overseas to complete the procedure. They know they are doing wrong in pursuing this lucrative sideline. Why else would they advise patients not to tell their GPs – in one case warning that doing so would cause ‘a lot of aggro’?

Yes, Parliament may one day sanction sex selection – though the Mail cautions strongly against this. Until then, doctors should abide by the spirit and letter of the law. It is not their job to play God.