The ever-growing field of medical technology has raised many questions, especially related to ethics. Human genome mapping, cloning technologies, stem cell research, and, of course, reproductive technology have caused some very real dilemmas about the role of human decision in creating and directing new life. Humans are capable of achieving extraordinary things in science, but at what cost? The ubiquitous nature of reproductive technology has caused a new discipline of reproductive ethics. One such dilemma is that of selective abortion due to sexual preference. In this article I will discuss the ethics of gendercide and the impact of ultrasound on this practice. Sex-selective abortion is the practice of terminating a pregnancy based on the intended sex of the fetus. Selective abortion of female fetuses is more common in areas where cultural norms favor male over female babies, especially in parts of Taiwan, Korea, China, and India. A 2005 study estimated that over 90 million women were "missing" from the expected population in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Pakistan, South Korea, and Taiwan alone, and suggested that sex-selective abortion plays a role in this deficit. India eliminates over half a million healthy female fetuses every year, simply because of their sex. Amniocentesis and ultrasound techniques are the most common methods used by couples to determine the sex of the baby before it is born. In the United States, such tests are routine and usually not alarming, but in nations like India and China these tests, and others, have become a subject of debate because the results could mean life or death. Until the 1980s, people in poor countries could do little about their preference for male children before birth, ... middle of paper ... September 7, 2009) Indian Journal of Medical Ethics. Vol 4.Taylor, J. Of ultrasound scans and baby carriages: prenatal diagnosis, pregnancy and consumption. (May 2000) Feminist Studies. Ethics Committee of the American Society for Medicine. Biased gender selection for non-medical reasons. (May 5, 2001) Promoting the Ethical Use of Ultrasound in India A Case Study of GE's Emerging Economy (January 2009) Hesketh, Therese. Gendercide: the global war against girls. (March 4, 2010) Lemoine, Kristi. GENDER DISCRIMINATION FUEL SEXUAL SELECTIVE ABORTION. University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review. (Fall 2007) Sex-selective abortion. (2010). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.