Health Minister Nicola Roxon says the federal government isn't pushing for a ban on baby gender selection technology to be lifted and she's personally very uncomfortable with the proposal.
The practice of choosing the sex of a baby has been banned for the last five years.
Limited exceptions exist where it can be shown that a child of a particular gender faces a high risk of inheriting a genetic disease from a parent.
The five-year moratorium expires this year and the National Health and Medical Research Council is reviewing its guidelines.
Ms Roxon said she was happy for a review and to hear the arguments for and against a change.
"But I need to flag that the government has not set down this path because we wish to make any changes," she told ABC radio on Saturday.
"And, at a personal level, I am very uncomfortable about the suggestions that such a change might be made."
Advocating for change is IVF pioneer Professor Gab Kovacs who says some parents already travel to countries such as the United States and Thailand to choose the sex of their children.
He says some parents are willing to pay up to $15,000 for the technique, and the opportunity to choose a baby's sex should remain.
"I can't see any reason why it should be forbidden," he told ABC radio.
"I've seen a number of couples who have maybe three or four children of one particular sex and they're very keen on family balancing.
"That's the type of couple that most often ask about sex selection."
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