Definition
Landrum B. Shettles (1924 – 2011) was an American urologist and author known for developing the Shettles method, a set of recommendations intended to influence the sex of a baby through timing of intercourse and other factors.
Overview
Shettles earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia and completed a urology residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later served as a faculty member. During the 1960s, he began researching differences between X‑ and Y‑bearing sperm, focusing on their motility, longevity, and response to the vaginal environment. His findings were popularized in the 1971 bestseller How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby, which outlined practical guidelines such as timing intercourse relative to ovulation, sexual position, and vaginal pH manipulation. The book sold millions of copies worldwide and sparked considerable public interest in gender selection. Shettles later authored additional works on reproductive health, including How to Have a Healthy Baby (1971) and The Shettles Sex Selection Method (1995).
Despite widespread popular adoption, the Shettles method has been subject to extensive scientific scrutiny. Numerous controlled studies have concluded that the method does not produce a statistically significant shift in sex ratios beyond natural variation, leading many reproductive specialists to regard it as lacking empirical support.
Etymology/Origin
The name “Landrum” is of English origin, traditionally a surname derived from a place name meaning “long ridge.” “Shettles” is an English surname, historically a variant of “Shetleigh” or “Shetley.” In this context, the term refers to the individual bearing the combined given name and surname.
Characteristics
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Profession | Urologist, clinical researcher, author |
| Affiliations | Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School (faculty) |
| Key Contributions | Development of the Shettles method for sex selection; popular science publications on reproductive strategies |
| Major Publications | How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (1971); How to Have a Healthy Baby (1971); The Shettles Sex Selection Method (1995) |
| Scientific Reception | The method is considered controversial; systematic reviews and meta‑analyses report no reliable effect on sex ratios. |
| Death | September 2011, New York, USA |
Related Topics
- Shettles method – The set of recommendations proposed by Landrum Shettles for influencing offspring sex.
- Sex selection – Biological and technological approaches aimed at biasing the sex of offspring, including pre‑implantation genetic diagnosis and sperm sorting.
- Human reproductive biology – Scientific study of gamete characteristics, fertilization, and embryonic development.
- Gender prediction folklore – Various cultural beliefs and traditional practices concerning the determination of a child’s sex.
Note: While Landrum Shettles is a recognized figure in popular reproductive literature, the scientific community generally regards his sex‑selection claims as unsubstantiated.