Boy or girl? You choose! [Israel]

Couples, even single women, who want to choose the sex of their baby in the early embryonic stage for social -- and not just medical -- reasons can now apply to a new committee appointed by the Health Ministry. The seven-member body, to be chaired by Prof. Vaclav Insler -- chairman of the National Council for Gynecology, Neonatology and Genetics -- will rule on whether pre-gestational diagnosis (PGD) will be permitted to select a girl or a boy.

Among the expected applicants are couples who have several children of only one sex and want one of the opposite sex.

Health Ministry director-general Prof. Avi Yisraeli issued a directive on Wednesday regarding the committee, whose work will be coordinated by Aviva Nimrodi-Botzer of the ministry in Jerusalem. PGD is offered at six hospitals around the country -- Shaare Zedek Medical Center and Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem, Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov), Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer and Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba.

Until now, the decision on whether to allow PGD...