The truth about the secret of 'egg monitoring' to have a baby boy

As the daughter-in-law in a family where her husband is the only son, the woman in Bac Ninh is under great pressure to give birth to a child to continue the family line. She herself does not want a daughter because she believes that "women often have a harder time". To achieve her goal, Ha turned to methods of calculating the month of conception based on the mother's lunar age according to the perpetual calendar, a method widely spread on the internet.

Not stopping there, she also bought an ovulation test, consulted the seller's instructions on how to use it to determine the day of ovulation through the lightness and darkness on the stick, combined with ultrasound to choose the time to have sex "as desired". She meticulously recorded every day, followed all the instructions and even asked for "son luck" from groups. But in the end, the woman still gave birth to a baby girl and could only hope for the next pregnancy.

Similarly, Thuy, 37, and her husband in Vinh Phuc, also longed for a son after having two daughters. Thuy tried everything: nourishing her husband, eating alkaline foods, taking hormone supplements, douching before sex, and trying positions that were said to "make having a son as easy as turning your hand."

During her third pregnancy, she found herself craving sour instead of sweet like the previous two times, and her morning sickness was worse, so she hoped even more that this would be a boy. But when the ultrasound showed that it was a girl, she burst into tears. However, the biggest consolation for her was that her first two daughters were both beautiful, intelligent, and very affectionate towards their parents.

According to Dr. Tra Anh Duy, Men's Health Center, the sex of the fetus is determined by the chromosomes in the father's sperm. Sperm carrying the X chromosome will create a baby girl, while sperm carrying the Y chromosome will create a baby boy. The concept of choosing the day of intercourse to have a baby boy has existed for a long time and is still applied by many people, but the scientific basis of this method is still controversial.

Some studies have shown that Y sperm are faster swimmers but have a shorter lifespan than X sperm. So having sex close to ovulation may increase the chances of the Y sperm meeting the egg. However, other studies, including one by Wilcox et al. published in the journalThe New England Journal of Medicine, found no convincing evidence for this view. The proportions of X and Y sperm in semen are approximately equal, and which sperm fertilizes the egg is completely random.

"There is no method that guarantees 100% of having a boy. Being too stubborn about the child's gender can cause mental pressure and affect family happiness," Dr. Duy emphasized. He also affirmed that children, whether boys or girls, are priceless gifts.

In fact, the sex of the fetus is influenced by many factors, not just the time of intercourse. Therefore, couples need to have a realistic view, avoiding creating unnecessary pressure for themselves and their families.

According to the results of the 2024 Mid-Term Population and Housing Census announced by the General Statistics Office, the sex ratio at birth in Vietnam is currently 111.4 boys/100 girls, far exceeding the natural balance (about 106 boys/100 girls). This situation reflects the trend of many families wanting to have only one child and giving priority to boys, leading to an increasingly serious gender gap. Easy access to medical services for diagnosing or selecting the sex of the fetus also contributes to the increase in abortions due to gender.

Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan, at the launching ceremony of the National Action Month on Population in 2024, warned that Vietnam is facing a situation of "decreasing birth rates, excess males and shortage of females". If the gender imbalance at birth continues at a high level, by 2034, Vietnam will have a surplus of 1.5 million males aged 15-49. This number could increase to 1.8 million by 2059. As a result, many young men will have difficulty finding a partner, leading to delayed marriage or an increase in the rate of single life, negatively affecting the family structure and society in the future.

Trying to have a son not only puts psychological pressure on couples but also contributes to worsening the gender imbalance problem in Vietnam. This is a problem not only for each family but also for the whole society, requiring changes in awareness and action from all sides, Dr. Duy emphasized.