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Is it permissible to perform an IVF procedure to select male twins, knowing that there is a previously born child, and a desire not to have females to avoid inheriting excessive hair, and to avoid the birth of a child with Down syndrome due to family history?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible to undergo artificial insemination for those who are capable of conceiving through natural means, due to the unnecessary exposure of the awrah al-mughallazah (most intimate parts). The mere possibility of the child acquiring a certain trait or determining its sex does not justify resorting to IVF (in vitro fertilization) or similar procedures, for the same reason.

The Islamic Fiqh Academy has ruled that it is permissible to choose the sex of the fetus through permissible natural methods. However, no medical intervention is allowed for selecting the sex of the fetus except in cases of therapeutic necessity for hereditary diseases that affect one sex over another, and this must be according to specific Sharia guidelines, a decision from a specialized medical committee, and approval from an authorized fatwa-issuing body.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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