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Women’s sex preferences in the United States: 1970 to 1975

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Demography

Abstract

This analysis examines the potential effect of sex preselection technology in the United States. The results suggest that controlling the sex of offspring is not the desire of most American women; that if it were employed, there would be a significant increase in sons as first-born and daughters as second children; that the overall sex ratio would be little changed from that occurring naturally except at very low fertility levels with universal use of such technology; and that fertility is only minimally influenced by gender preferences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Population Research, Princeton University, 08544, Princeton, New Jersey

    Anne R. Pebley & Charles F. Westoff

Authors
  1. Anne R. Pebley
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  2. Charles F. Westoff
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Pebley, A.R., Westoff, C.F. Women’s sex preferences in the United States: 1970 to 1975. Demography 19, 177–189 (1982). https://doi.org/10.2307/2061189

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2061189

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