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Excerpts from, "A Prospective Study of Sex Preselection in Ondo, Nigeria,
using the Billings Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning."
by Dr. Leonie McSweeney M.B., M.M.M. (The complete study is published in the (Bulletin of the Natural Family Planning Council of Victoria, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 9-16) and is available by contacting the official Ovulation Research and Reference Centre of Australia (OMR&RCA)
Abstract
In a sex-preselection trial carried out in Ondo, Nigeria, based on the timing of intercourse in relation to the Peak of the mucus symptom as indicated by the Billings Ovulation Method of natural family planning, there was an overall 95% success rate for male and female preselection if intercourse was carried out at the appointed times. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the outcome could not have occurred by chance, there being a highly significant difference between the timed intercourse and random timing of intercourse. Though the precise reason for the findings is not yet completely understood, it is considered that the variation in the physical architecture of the mucus caused by the ovarian hormones around the time of ovulation and the differential mobility in this milieu of sperm bearing the X or Y chromosome are contributing factors to the findings.......
Ethics of Sex Preselection
Natural sex ratios are universally reported as being 106 males to 100 females and, as females have a higher survival rate than males, this would leave the ratio about equal at marrying age. Also in many parts of the world families with all-male children seem to balance out those with all-female children. However, in countries where a male child is sought by many at almost any cost, it would appear that the proportion becomes unequal and there is an imbalance of the sexes. While parents of mixed or all-male families make a reasonable effort to space out their children in these countries most parents of all-female families try to have children in quick succession in a desperate effort to have a male child before it is too late. As a result many parents of all-female families have more children than they would have had otherwise. In these circumstances it seems reasonable to avail of natural sex selection to stabilize the marriage, avoid a lot of unhappiness, raise the status of the woman and try to restore the balance of the sexes.
The Prospective Study
(i) The First Phase.In the first phase of the extended study, which ended in May 1968, the 26 couples involved were followed up to the time of delivery. It was centred in Owerri-Mbiase and Enugu, the capital cities of the States of Omo and Enugu.
(ii)The Extended Study. Following the completion of the first phase of the study it was decided to extend the sampling area for the research to some eight or nine surrounding towns in this densely populated area. In these parts of Nigeria, classes for instruction in the Billings Ovulation Method tended to be much larger than in other areas, which made it easier to find men and women who would fulfill the criteria chosen for the sample group. Over a period of time some hundreds of couples from which the sample group emerged were given a complete course of instruction in the method and by the end of the entire study in December 1990, the sample consisted of 99 couples. The logistics of the study, namely the need for careful supervision of the participants in order to obtain all necessary information in the conception cycle so that prediction of the sex of the child could be made well in advance of the delivery date and so produce as accurate a report as possible, limited the sample to this number of couples. Only four co-ordinators and a few trained teachers, who could meet regularly at the Ondo headquarters of the study to furnish data so obtained, were available for this purpose....
The raw data has been lodged as an Accessory Publication at the Editorial Office, 27, Alexandra Parade, North Fitzroy, Victoria 3068, copies of which are available on request."
CONTACT DR. LEONIE McSWEENEY at: leomcswe@skannet.com
Bibliography
World Health Organisation, Task Force on Methods for the Determination of the Fertile Period, Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, "A Prospective Multicentre Trial of the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning." 1. The Teaching Phase 1. Phase 11,111,1V. Fertility and Sterility Vol. 36, pp. 152, 1981.Billings E. L., Billings J.J., Brown J. B., Burger V., "Symptoms and hormonal changes accompanying ovulation", Lancet Vol. 1: pp. 282-4, 1972.
Hilgers T.W., Abraham G., Cavanagh D., "The Peak symptom and estimated time of ovulation", Natural Family Planning, Vol. 52. No. 5, Nov., 1978.
Klaus H. et al., "Use effectiveness and client satisfaction in six centres teaching the Billings Ovulation Method" Contraception Vol. 19, No.6, p 613, 1979.
Billings J.J., The Ovulation Method, 7th ed., Advocate Press, Melbourne, 1983.
Billings E. L. & Westmore A., The Billings Method,. Anne O'Donovan Pty. Ltd., South Yarra, 1992.
Billings E. L. Billings J. J., Catarinich M. , with appendices by Odeblad E. and Brown J.B., Billings Atlas of the Ovulation Method. Advocate Press, Melbourne, 1989.
Potter R.G., "Application of life table techniques to measurements of contraceptive effectiveness", Demography, Vol. 3, p 299, 1966.
Tietze C. and Lewit S., Family Planning Perspectives,Vol. 3, p 53, 1971.
Ball M., "A prospective field trial of the Ovulation Method", European Journal of Obstetrical and Gynaecological Reproductive Biology, Vol.6, No 2, pp. 63-6, 1976.
Weissman M.C., Foliaki J., Billings E.L., Billings J.J. , "A trial of the Ovulation Method of family planning in Tonga", Lancet, pp. 813-16, 14 October 1972.
Klaus H., "Natural Family Planning: A Review", Obstetrical and Gynecological Survey. Vol. 37, No. 2 pp. 128-150. 1982 (revised 1995).
McSweeney L. , "A Prospective Study of Sex Preselection in Ondo, Nigeria, using the Billings Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning," Bulletin of the Natural Family Planning Council of Victoria, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp 9-16. 1993.
Thapa S. , Wonga M. V., Lampe P.G., Pietojo H. , Soejoenoes A. , "Efficacy of Three Variations of Periodic Abstinence for Family Planning in Indonesia", Studies in Family Planning, Vol. 21, pp. 327-34, 1990.
Odeblad E. "Discovery of Different Types of Cervical Mucus and The Billings Ovulation Method," Bulletin of the Ovulation Method Research and Reference Centre of Australia,. Vol. 21, No. 3, 1994.
