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United Kingdom

Is sex selection legal?
British law says that parents are only able to select the sex of their child if there is a substantial risk that a gender-related genetic disease could be passed on. ‘Family balancing’, where the reasons for sex selection are social rather than medical, is not allowed at licensed clinics in the UK. However, private, unlicensed clinics are not breaking the law by offering sperm sorting.

Is selecting an embryo for its genes legal?
At the moment in the UK, it is legal to select an embryo for its genes. A technique called Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis is used to screen for a handful of genetic diseases. Doctors select only healthy embryos and implant these into the mother’s womb.

Is it legal to select a particular embryo to provide tissue for another person?
In the UK, the human fertilisation and embryology authority (HFEA) announced it was prepared to allow a couple to select their future child’s genes to save the life of their existing sick child. Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis was used to ensure their new baby was not only free from the genetic disease that affected his sister, but also a tissue match. This enabled doctors to provide tissue from the placenta to cure his sister. In the future, the HFEA will review the merits of each case.

Is it legal to genetically engineer animals?
In the UK, it is legal to genetically engineer mice, cows, pigs, sheep and goats.

The Medical Research Council, which funds most animal experimentation in British labs, stated that “UK law and animal ethical codes require researchers to use the least ‘advanced’ animals and the minimum number wherever possible. We expect genetically modified mice will remain the most important species where animals have to be used to help us understand disease and improve health.” Genetically engineered monkeys such as ANDI would therefore not find much favour in UK labs.

Who makes and enforces these laws?
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which was set up in the UK in 1991, ensures that all UK treatment clinics offering In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) or Donor Insemination (DI), or storing eggs, sperm or embryos, conform to high medical and professional standards and are inspected regularly. They collect comprehensive data about such treatments, and provide detailed advice and information to the public.

The HFEA also licenses and monitors all human embryo research, supervising controlled research for the benefit of humankind. They also consider the ethical implications of a number of key issues.

As fertility and genetic manipulation techniques develop, the law needs to review their application for each new case. The law needs to catch up with the science.