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From: mom@sftri.UUCP (Mark Modig)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: How do you get a boy?
Message-ID: <394@sftri.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 1-Apr-85 08:47:23 EST
Article-I.D.: sftri.394
Posted: Mon Apr  1 08:47:23 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Apr-85 07:34:05 EST
References: <1660SGL@PSUVM> <237@aluxz.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Summit N.J.
Lines: 27

> 
> Fortunately, short of sorting out your sperm under a microscope, 
> there is nothing you can do to increase the probability
> that conception results in a male baby.  In fact, the odds are slightly
> in favor of a female being born.
> 
> Kevin Kolwicz
> AT&T Bell Labs, Allentown PA

Not true.  In terms of live births, there are slightly more males
born than females.  However, after that it is all downhill for the
guys, as death due to just about everything (most diseases, accidents,
suicide, crime, etc.) claims more males than females.  I'm not sure
where the ratio reaches 1:1 (I seem to vaguely recall somewhere in the
teens), but the ratio of males to females is significantly in favor of
the females by age 40, and the gap widens dramatically as you look
at older and older groups.

Mark Modig
ihnp4!sftri!mom

P.S.  What's wrong with a girl, anyway?  My father-in-law took my
wife hunting and fishing with him a lot when she was growing up, so
I don't think one has to have a boy just to have someone to play
catch with and go camping overnight with.  To this day, my wife regularly
catches more fish much more easily than I do-- which is fine with
me, since otherwise we'd probably starve when we go camping.