Opinion Today: Should human life be optimized?

Advances in genetic testing are changing what's possible for those undergoing I.V.F.

nytimes.com April 1, 2025 The New York Times By Alexandra March Deputy Director of Audience, Opinion I was amazed by the birth of my daughter in 2020. The fact that she was here at all seemed unbelievable. I had a miscarriage the year before and no guarantee that I would be able to start a family. Two years later, sitting in a cold chair at a New Jersey clinic and learning the definition of "secondary infertility," I felt the same tightness in my chest, unsure if I would be able to have a second child. But this time, I had science on my side. With a recommendation from my doctor, I embarked on the I.V.F. process. Those undergoing fertility treatments are often asked if they want a boy or a girl. The genetic testing that most people opt into ahead of implantation, which looks for abnormalities that could lead to miscarriage or birth defects, can also identify the sex of an embryo. I fretted about the possibility of having to choose. At that point, all I wanted was a healthy baby. I had the sweetest 2-year-old daughter, and another one of her sounded like a dream. But I had also always wanted one of each, and I worried I might come to regret not taking that path. As it turned out, my embryos were all male, relieving me of any say in the matter. Now new technology promises to offer prospective parents far more options to contend with. In Part 2 of The Embryo Question, a Times Opinion series looking at the crossroads of science, ethics and the law, Anna Louie Sussman probes the practice of polygenic screening, in which embryos are scored for their genetic propensity for different conditions. In its extreme, the technology holds the promise of letting parents select embryos for taller, smarter and happier children. Polygenic embryo screening isn't widely used at this point, but a 2022 representative survey of Americans found that nearly 4 in 10 said they were "more likely than not" to use it if it would slightly increase the chances of their child getting into a top college. All parents want the best for their kids, but where do you draw the line? For me, even sex selection felt like too overwhelming of a choice; asking parents to consider weighting the scales more — or to carry the weight of opting out — puts on immense pressure when emotions and stakes are so high. If that's the future of making babies, perhaps it's one we must confront collectively. Read more: Dru Donovan for The New York Times Should Human Life Be Optimized? Advances in genetic testing and artificial intelligence are changing what's possible for those undergoing I.V.F. Are we ready for the future of fertility? By Anna Louie Sussman Here's what we're focusing on today: More From Opinion Robert S. 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