The controversial medical practice banned in almost every country in the world ... trends now
In vitro fertilization is one of the more controversial medical practices across the globe - largely due to its invasive, grueling nature, and enormous price tag.
One round, will run patients at least $20,000 - a small price to pay for those struggling with fertility issues.
As for patients, some are same sex couples, while some are just single attempting parenthood on their own.
As of writing, 15 states - including California - require insurance plans cover it, though more often than not, the coverage is minimal.
Considered a last resort for those who are eager to be parents but who face obstacles when it comes to conceiving, the treatment is still on the rise - at least in the US.
Pictured, Fertility Institutes in Los Angeles, one of countless clinics across the country that offer IVF. The practice - illegal in most countries - is now immensely popular in the US
The practice sees patients select characteristics such as their baby's eye color and sex, before a doctor collects eggs from ovaries to be fertilized by sperm in a lab (seen here)
'The market is the size of the human race,' said Jeffrey Steinberg, founder of the Fertility Institutes in Los Angeles, of the assisted pregnancy practice's popularity.
At his clinic, patients can select characteristics such as their baby's eye color, as he collects eggs from their ovaries to be fertilized by sperm in a lab.
Participants can also choose their baby's sex - a perk he estimates draws 85 percent of patients alone
He told Slate Tuesday how he markets this service aggressively, as figures surrounding selective IVF for sex selection show that it rakes in an estimated $500 million a year for clinics across the country.
That accounts for 5 percent of the some $8 billion the practices rake in in the SS, Steinberg pointed out - citing a seemingly unlimited ceiling for growth.
Sharon Moayeri, the founder of OC Fertility in Newport Beach, said more of the same, revealing that for many Americans, the ability to pick sexes is sort of a silver lining - in a sea of doubt created by difficulty conceiving.
However, unlike Steinberg's, her clinic does not heavily advertise sex selection, she said - though she estimates that still some 15 percent of patients arrive solely because of the perk, without any fertility issues.
'The market is the size of the human race,' said Jeffrey Steinberg, founder of the Fertility Institutes, of the assisted pregnancy practice's popularity
A doctor at the medical center at the University of California San Francisco, meanwhile, said that a low number of patients come in solely for sex selection, but did point out several instances of parents who, once in the building, are more likely to request girls
Sharon Moayeri said more of the same, revealing that for many Americans, the ability
