What Do You Think?
Once it becomes possible to test quickly and reliably for thousands of genetic conditions,
should doctors be expected to perform such tests? Should the doctor be liable for failing
to test or for failing to inform parents of every detail of the test result.
Who should counsel patients about what their genetic blueprints mean and how will people
react to their particular genetic makeup?
Do health and life insurers who deny policies to people with disease genes have the right
to do so?
Should laws be passed to protect people against genetic discrimination?
How can genetic information be kept confidential and how can the discriminatory use of
test results be prevented? Since some tests will reveal information about other family
members, can the privacy of these relatives be protected?
Do people have the right to choose not to know about their genes? Do mothers have the
right to choose not to have their fetuses tested?
(Taken from Genetic Screening and Ethics: An Overview. The Woodrow Wilson Biology
Institute, 1992, David Devore).
Back to Issue - March 1997
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