I don’t think there is anything wrong with this on the level of the family, and it is entirely understandable. I just think it gets really tricky when governments are in the position of legislating how ethical is ethical. So when one family has two girls and wants a boy, maybe that is fine. But if society-wide, there are plenty of families that are happy with three boys and would not opt to sex-select to have a fourth girl, it won’t take long for things to go off balance. At some point the society will have to address the lack of females. I don’t think the capacity for sex-selection is in itself the problem. But it is a tool that will be co-opted to serve unjust systems. I guess ultimately it is the injustice that needs to be addressed, not the tool.
I think there is a similar problem with screening for genetic diseases or disorders. On the face of it, this is a good and useful tool. But at a societal level, would it lead to more discrimination and isolation of those with Down’s syndrome or other genetic issues and people would come to think of them as a mistake that care should have been taken to “weed out” before pregnancy?
Of course I agree, all the selection technology that happens prior to pregnancy is a step forward from abortion and infanticide.