Washing for a Son

By Sumayyah Meehan, TMO

A bouncing baby boy, for many, is much more than merely a happy addition to the family. In some parts of the world, many couples deem sons to be more of a gift than girls. The reason being is that some perceive that boys possess more strength than girls and have more freedom of movement in societies where males are mostly the breadwinners. It’s regrettable that girls, in this day and age, are not always as cherished as they should be. In the Middle East and Southeast Asia, for example, male sons often carry their parents into old age whereas girls often care for their husband’s family.

It’s unfortunate that the success of some marriages also depends almost exclusively on the wife’s ability to produce a male heir. Little thought is given to the fact that the male sperm actually is the deciding factor in the sex of a child. Many men will even take second wives to increase their chances of having a son. For these reasons, many women go to drastic measures to try to produce a son in an attempt to save their marriages.

Some of the methods many wives engage in range from the strange to the absolutely ridiculous. From eating special food combinations to scheduling intimacy with their husbands to specific times that supposedly will result in a male birth, it seems most women in the region are game for just about anything. However, one of the most startling methods is a new product that promises to increase a woman’s chances of producing a son by almost half. It is called “Intimate Wash” and it is popping up in pharmacies all over the Middle East. According to the product label, the soap promises a 50% increased chance of producing either a boy or a girl. The insert contains directions of use specific to the gender desired.

The price of the soap, which promises to “deliver” so much, is less than $5.00. There are other types of soaps and washes also appearing on pharmacy shelves that are a bit more expensive. One such soap hails from Greece and guarantees that not only is it naturally organic but it also works with a similar percentage of success as the other soaps on the market.

Unfortunately the soaps have not been approved by any sort of governmental committee or organization, similar to the Food and Drug Administration in the USA, which protects the American population from harmful pharmaceuticals. However, the promises on the sleek package designs are often enough to bring a women’s hopes up despite the unforeseen dangers that the soap could pose to both her mental and physical health.

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