MicroSort(R) Sperm Sorting for Gender Selection Now Available In Cyprus

NICOSIA, Cyprus, October 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Couples Seeking Preconception Sex Selection Have New Options

Patients from Europe and the Middle East who want to choose the gender of their next child to "balance" their family or minimize the risk of certain genetic diseases have a new option:  MicroSort(R) preconception sex selection technology is now available in Cyprus at North Cyprus IVF Clinic.  Cyprus is currently one of only three countries in the world where MicroSort(R) provides sperm sorting.

Studies in the US have demonstrated that of patients using MicroSort(R) to have a girl, approximately 93% of those who became pregnant were successful in conceiving a female baby; for those sorting for a boy, approximately 85% of those who became pregnant were successful in conceiving a male baby. Patients who want even greater certainty can combine MicroSort(R) with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to achieve almost 100% certainty in sex selection.

Developed in the US by Genetics & IVF Institute, Fairfax, VA, MicroSort(R) is an exclusive scientific method used before conception that increases the likelihood of conceiving a child of a particular gender by separating sperm either into those that primarily produce girls or those that primarily produce boys. Sorted sperm is used either for intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).  MicroSort(R) dramatically alters 50/50 proportions by sorting sperm based on the difference in the amount of genetic material in X- and Y-bearing sperm. Chromosomes that produce girls (X chromosome) have slightly more DNA than Y chromosomes and,  therefore, are slightly larger than Y-bearing sperm.

Patients need to spend only a few days in Cyprus to use MicroSort(R) because some of the medical preparation can be accomplished in their home countries.  Potential patients should contact North Cyprus IVF, who will work with MicroSort(R) to coordinate the sperm sorting.

MicroSort(R) is available for two uses:  "family balancing" and preventing sex-linked and sex-limited genetic diseases.  To use MicroSort(R) for family balancing, couples must already have at least one child.  MicroSort(R) can then be used to attempt to "balance" their family by having a child of the opposite gender or of the underrepresented gender in their family. A family with two boys, for instance, could balance their family by having a girl. To use MicroSort(R) for family balancing, couples will be asked to provide a birth certificate for each child already in their family.  

MicroSort(R) also is available for families with a history of one of more than 500 sex linked or sex limited genetic diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  These genetic diseases generally appear in one gender, so couples may wish to have a child of the opposite gender who will be unaffected by the disease. Although couples seeking family balancing must already have at least one child, MicroSort(R) is available for couples seeking their first child if the couple or the family have a history of a qualifying disease.

"Life is about making choices," says Dr. Savas Ozyigit of the North Cyprus IVF Clinic.  "Joining forces with the prestigious Genetics & IVF Institute (GIVF), we are offering the latest technology in gender selection treatment with more than 10 years experience in the field to allow patients to make choices in the gender of their children."  

Patients can learn more about MicroSort(R) at http://www.microsort.com.  To contact  North Cyprus IVF Center, they can email info@northcyprusivf.net  This service is not available to residents of the United States.