IVF is a medical technology designed to assist with conception by combining eggs and sperm outside the body. When the goal is to select the sex of the child—a practice often referred to as family balancing—a specialized procedure is integrated into the standard IVF process. This elective choice significantly increases the overall financial commitment beyond the baseline cost of fertility treatment. Understanding the total expense requires a detailed look at the medical steps, the standard cycle price, and the specific surcharge for genetic screening.
The Necessary Medical Process
Achieving sex selection is not an inherent part of standard fertilization; it requires the application of Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT). This testing is the mechanism that allows clinicians to determine the sex of the embryo before it is transferred into the uterus. The process begins with a conventional IVF cycle to create the embryos in a laboratory setting.
Once the embryos have developed for five to seven days and reached the blastocyst stage, a highly skilled embryologist performs a delicate biopsy. This micro-surgical step involves carefully extracting a few cells from the trophectoderm, which is the outer layer of the blastocyst that will eventually form the placenta. The embryo itself is not directly sampled, which is intended to minimize potential harm to the developing structure.
The biopsied cells are then sent to a specialized genetics laboratory for analysis, while the embryo is cryopreserved (frozen) awaiting the results. The analysis, typically PGT-A (Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy), examines the chromosomes of the cells. The geneticist identifies the sex by checking for the presence of two X chromosomes (female) or one X and one Y chromosome (male). Only embryos identified as the desired sex and determined to be chromosomally normal are considered for transfer.
Standard IVF Cycle Costs
The foundation of the expense for sex selection is the cost of a full, standard IVF cycle, which is required regardless of the genetic testing add-on. This baseline cost covers the procedures necessary to create the embryos for screening. The average price for a single conventional IVF cycle in the United States, before medications and genetic testing, typically falls within the range of $9,000 to $14,000.
The largest variable component is the cost of ovarian stimulation medications, which are hormones that encourage the ovaries to produce multiple eggs. These injectable drugs are highly personalized and can add an estimated $3,000 to $8,000 to the cycle cost. The remaining base fee covers monitoring appointments, the egg retrieval procedure performed under anesthesia, laboratory fees for fertilization, and initial embryo culture.
Consequently, the total cost for a single cycle, including essential medications, generally starts between $12,000 and $25,000. The total process is inherently more expensive than a fresh transfer cycle because it requires a subsequent Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET).
Specific Pricing for Genetic Screening
The direct cost for gender selection is encapsulated in the fees for Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), an incremental expense on top of the standard IVF cycle price. This testing involves three distinct financial components billed separately. The first is the clinic’s fee to perform the embryo biopsy, which ranges from $1,500 to $2,500, and is sometimes charged per embryo or as a flat rate for a cohort.
The second component is the cost for the genetic laboratory to analyze the biopsied cells, which determines the sex. The national average cost for PGT-A, which includes sex identification, typically ranges from $4,500 to $5,500 per testing cycle. This can vary widely from $1,800 to $7,500 depending on the clinic and the number of embryos. Additional costs are incurred for specialized shipping of the cell samples to the testing facility.
Because the genetic analysis takes time, all embryos must be frozen while awaiting results, necessitating a separate Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) procedure later. This required FET adds an average of $3,000 to $5,000 to the total bill. When combining the standard IVF cycle, the genetic testing, and the mandatory FET, the comprehensive price for a single attempt at IVF with gender selection typically ranges from $25,000 to $35,000.
Legal Availability and Location Factors
The final total price for sex selection is heavily influenced by where the procedure is legally and ethically permitted. In many countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada, sex selection for non-medical reasons, such as family balancing, is strictly prohibited by law. This legal restriction often forces patients to seek treatment in other jurisdictions, a practice known as medical tourism.
In contrast, the United States has no federal ban, making the procedure legally available in many states, though access can still vary based on individual clinic policies. Other international destinations, such as Cyprus and Mexico, are known for offering the procedure to international patients. Traveling for treatment introduces significant, non-medical costs, including airfare, accommodation, and extended time away from work.
Furthermore, most health insurance plans will not cover any part of the IVF cycle when the primary reason for the treatment is elective gender selection. The lack of insurance coverage, combined with higher fees charged by clinics in destination markets, means that the geographic location and regulatory environment are major factors in determining the final, out-of-pocket cost.