DANIEL SCHIFF

The second area of interest that has resurfaced is actually a conglomerate of measures surrounding the timing and nature of intercourse. The most well-known advocate of this amalgam of techniques is Dr. L. Shettles who, gaining insight for some of his ideas from the Orthodox Jewish community*®, proposed the following: In order to obtain a girl, intercourse should be frequent up until two to three days before ovulation at which time it should cease, intercourse should immediately be preceded by an acidic douche, the woman should try to avoid orgasm, the missionary position should be assumed during intercourse, and shallow penetration should be attempted by the man. In order to obtain a boy, intercourse should be avoided from the beginning of the monthly cycle until ovulation and should take place as close to ovulation as possible, intercourse should be preceded by an alkaline douche, the woman should try to achieve orgasm - preferably prior to her husband- and deep penetration from the rear is advised. When there is faithful adherence to these procedures Shettles claims a success rate that is above 80 percent. Given that the laws of niddah could be accommodated- which will not always be the case- would Jewish attitudes permit these and similar timing/environmental sex preselection practices?

The actual reliability of both these strategies has been called into question, and may well be less than their protagonists state. Shettles' timing advice and acid/alkaline recommendations have also been disputed in experimental trials.” Hence, while utilizing these methods may well notably enhance a couple's chances of achieving the offspring of their desire, a substantial margin of unpredictability will still remain. Couples employing such procedures will always need to reckon with the possibility that the sex of any resultant child may not turn out as they had hoped, despite their best efforts. In these cases, the expression of the Midrash ,"no man knows what a woman is bearing, for it is written:‘nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child,(Kohelet 11:5)" will continue to be the commonplace rule.