ABSTRACT
Alan and Louise Masterton’s request to use PGD, it is safe to say, was never likely to be the most sympathetic application, either among regulatory agencies or academic commentators. Although it is impossible not to feel for their loss – their daughter, Nicole, died tragically young in an horrific accident – the nature of their subsequent campaign was sure to touch more than a few raw nerves. As the statement from Alan Masterton explains, he and Louise sought to restore ‘the female element . . . to our family’ by using IVF-PGD to ensure that their next (and last) child was a girl. And for many observers – even some who are sympathetic to the use of this technology in other circumstances – this was simply not acceptable.
