Prenatal sex discernment can be performed by
preimplantation genetic diagnosis before conception, but this method may not always be classified as
prenatal sex discernment because it's performed even before
implantation. •
Cell-free fetal DNA testing, wherein a
venipuncture is performed on the mother to analyze the small amount of fetal DNA that can be found within it. It provides the earliest post-implantation test. A meta-analysis published in 2011 found that such tests are reliable more than 98% of the time, as long as they are taken after the seventh week of pregnancy. •
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and
amniocentesis are two rather invasive testing procedures. These may, in principle, be performed as early as the 8th and the 9th week of pregnancy. The difficulty of these tests and the risk of injury to the foetus, potentially resulting in
miscarriage or congenital abnormalities (especially when done early during the pregnancy), make them quite rare during the first trimester. In the United States,
CVS and
amniocentesis are most commonly performed after the 11th and the 15th week of
pregnancy. •
Obstetric ultrasonography, either transvaginally or transabdominally, can check for the
sagittal sign as a marker of foetal sex. It can be performed as early as 65 and 69 days from fertilization (week 12 of
gestational age), where it gives a result in 90% of cases – a result that is correct in approximately of cases, according to a study from 2001. Accuracy for males is approximately 50% and for females almost 100%. When performed later, after 70 days from fertilization (at week 13 of gestational age), it gives an accurate result in almost 100% of cases. ==Applications==