Both sex selection and commercial surrogacy remain 'ethically unacceptable' under the 2017 Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) guidelines.

Australian couples wanting to select the sex of their baby for non-medical reasons will have to continue to seek reproductive assistance overseas.

A regulatory ban on sex selection for non-medical reasons has been upheld under revised national guidelines on assisted reproductive technology (ART) released by the National Health and Medical Research Council on Thursday.

The practice along with commercial surrogacy remains "ethically unacceptable" under the 2017 ART guidelines.

One in 25 women now use some form of ART to conceive but its use raises many important complex ethical considerations.

Of the more controversial practices is the use of gender selection technology for non-medical purposes.

The 2017 ART ethical guidelines states sex selection techniques may not be used unless for medical purposes.

"Sex selection techniques may be used to reduce the risk of transmission of a genetic condition, disease or abnormality that would severely limit the quality of life of the person who would be born, when there is evidence to support," the guidelines state.

A review of the 2007 ART guidelines began in April 2013. It was conducted by members of the Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) and involved two rounds of public consultations in 2014 and 2015.

The majority view of the AHEC was that there is "limited" research into the question of whether Australians support the use of sex selection for non-medical purposes and therefore was not a need for change.

"AHEC does not endorse, nor wish to perpetuate, gender stereotyping, or cultural or personal biases based on biological sex," said Chair of the AHEC, Professor Ian Olver.

Prof Olver says the guidelines reflect the "tremendous diversity" in the conversation on the issue.

"AHEC agreed that Australian society needs to the ready both socially and politically and recommended further public debate and broad discussion of the issue," he added.

The AHEC did acknowledge, however, that states and territories have the capacity to legislate regarding ART including sex selection for non-medical purposes.

Currently, the practice is both prohibited by legislation in Victoria and Western Australia.

Bioethicist Dr Tereza Hendl from the Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine at the University of Sydney welcomed the AHEC's position on sex selection.

Dr Hendl says allowing it for social reasons would send the message that it's acceptable to create children to fit preconceived "binary gender roles".

However not everyone is in agreement.

Fertility specialist at Genea, Associate Professor Mark Bowman says they support a couple's right to exercise reproduction choice.

"Sex selection, particularly for the purposes of family balancing, can be consistent with the responsible exercise of reproductive choice and the formation of a family," said Prof Bowman.

Professor Anne Kelso CEO of the NHMRC says the AHEC has crafted "ethically robust guidelines" that promote current practice and community sentiment on the use of ART.

"I'm personally satisfied that the 2017 ART guidelines will enhance consumer capacity to make informed decisions about their treatment," Prof Kelso said.