Genetic Disorders Should Not Be Allowed To Have Children Essay

   The Human Genome Project is the largest scientific endeavor undertaken since the Manhattan Project, and, as with the Manhattan Project, the completion of the Human Genome Project has brought to surface many moral and ethical issues concerning the use of the knowledge gained from the project. Although genetic tests for certain diseases have been available for 15 years (Ridley, 1999), the completion of the Human Genome Project will certainly lead to an exponential increase in the number of genetic tests available. Therefore, before genetic testing becomes a routine part of a visit to a doctor's office, the two main questions at the heart of the controversy surrounding genetic testing must be

Her claim states that a parent must abort their child or not even attempt to conceive if there is a chance for the possible child to have a genetic disorder, disease, or defect. I believe that Purdy overlooks the fact that many people today have debilitating genetic diseases today. Many individuals with such diseases go on to have significant, satisfying lives with careers and families. It is known that prenatal testing cannot predict genetic disabilities or the ultimate severity of disabilities with 100% certainty. Many of the people that are thought to have genetic disorders end up having more productive lives than that of people of “better health.” Someone may have a disability, but it is not uncommon for that person to overcome their disability to go on to live a typical, ordinary lives. Also, there are many people who desire to care for children and persons with disabilities. Adoption could also be an option, as there are many people who desire to have a child despite the child having disabilities or defects. I think Purdy is just too harsh in saying that a parent should not conceive if the child will have disabilities. There are some parents that desire to have a child so badly that they do not care if their child is born with a genetic disorder. There are many options that Purdy failed to acknowledge such as adoption, and the fact that many people with disabilities lead meaningful lives. Why should we

I support the guidelines outlined by Kitcher for the use of genetic information because of their responsible and ethical nature. I believe that future generations will benefit as a direct consequence of these guidelines. I shall begin by defining eugenics as the study of human genetics to improve inherited characteristics of the human race by the means of controlled selective breeding.

Is this the child that you have envisioned in your future? Or maybe did you see your child with brown eyes rather than blue? Maybe more intellectually gifted? Or with the promise of performing well in sport?

The entire point behind this idea is to lessen the amount of children that are born with genetic disorders. However, this research has garnered many critics, and they have some valid points about why it is not a good idea. The critics are saying that this line should not be crossed because the amount of women that could be positively affected by this is small. Also, the director of the Center for Genetics and Society, Marcy Darnovsky, stated that “mission creep” could become very real if this happened.

The question of whether or not people with intellectual disabilities should bear children is nothing new. Court ordered sterilizations of the intellectually disabled were commonly practiced during the first half of the 20th century as eugenics movements swept the globe. It was assumed that people who had intellectual disabilities were not capable of being good parents and would conceive children who also had a disability. This population of people was not desirable and fell victim of eugenics, which also happened to be gaining popularity in Nazi Germany. As most know, Adolf Hitler was one of the most famous leaders who practiced eugenics, essentially killing all who were not white, blonde haired and blue eyed. Anyone who attended school

Just think about a human race free of genetic disease where everyone is intelligent and where society and technology advance at staggering rates. This is the future that is envisioned by those who advocate eugenics. Eugenics is the study of methods to improve the human race by selection of parents based on their inherited characteristics (Hartl). The idea was first discussed by Sir Francis Galton in the 1880’s, but was widely unaccepted by people at first due to fear that it would take away their basic human rights and be misused (Hartl). In the early 20th century, eugenics was a very popular and widespread idea in the United States and there were laws created to encourage certain people to have children, while discouraging others from procreating (Morris 66). The main reason eugenics has fell into such disfavor is because the Nazis cited it as the reason for the Holocaust (Morris 66). The use of eugenics by the Nazis can be compared to the use Islam by ISIS, or the use of Christianity by the Westboro Baptist Church. It is a concept that can be misused based on interpretation and extremism. Eugenics itself is just an idea to improve the human race by selective breeding, not by killing millions. Forms of eugenics should be implemented in society because they eliminate genetic diseases and problems, spread favorable traits and attributes, create a more intelligent and less flawed society, and help advance the human race as a whole.

Initially, the primary purpose of genetic counseling was to provide patients with an understanding of the genetic problems in their family that could be inherited by offspring. However, in the past few decades, goals have shifted to not just informing clients of the possible diseases of their offspring, but also to preventing the possibility of genetic disorders occurring through selective embryo implantation or even abortion.

The Goal of the Human Genome Project is to obtain genetic mapping information and to determine the complete sequence of all human DNA by the year of 2005. The project started in 1990 and 180 million dollars are being spent on it annually. This adds up to a total of over 2 billion dollars for the 15 year budget. Of this 2 billion dollars budgeted, 5% is spent annually on the ethical, legal and social issues. This report focused on some of these issues.

“The feeble-minded, and the alcoholic, and the insane, and those afflicted with venereal disease, must be so guarded and treated in the future that they shall not become parents at all.” This disgusting and ignorant way of thinking was how many eugenicists felt. Sadly, our government allowed these people to “guard” and “treat” other individuals without their consent

Medical professionals today can screen for certain genetic traits (genetic diseases and sex) with in vitro fertilization and preimplantation genetic diagnosis to obtain a healthy child, and reproductive technology continues to improve. With this in mind, the question arises whether sex selection is ethical. Julian Savulescu, Uehiro Professor of Practical Ethics at Oxford University, argues that sex selection is moral, based on his ethical principle of Procreative Beneficence: that “couples (or single reproducers) should select the child, of the possible children they could have, who is expected to have the best life, or at least as good a life as the others, based on the relevant, available information” [Savulescu 1]. Savulescu claims

Modern medicine today has made incredible advancements into extending human lives. With these developments we are able to fight off certain fatal diseases, provide cures for what seems incurable and expand the human lifespan. In recent years, however, medicine has taken wrong turns in the struggle to cure and prevent disease. Eugenics is a practice that many seem to believe is a road that should not have been explored. Eugenics is the scientific deal of improving human reproduction of genetic specifications of a particular race or breed. Positive Eugenics is relative to those who seem the most able and healthy with little to no history of medical abnormalities. The negative practice centers on manipulating those who are considered genetically weak in society, coercing these individuals to believe they are unfit for having children. Eugenicists believed that this practice would help to eliminate any hereditary dysfunctions that a person carries and inhibit the passing on of what is considered to be harmful traits. Many people in this movement relied on the idea of sterilization being the way to relieve society of harmful disorders that they specified was unfit. The state of North Carolina has played a significant role in this practice of sterilization which leads others to discuss the legal and ethical standards for decision making that vary state to state. Is it inhumane for health professional to make medical decisions for those believed unfit for society? Because of the

Some people believe that it is against their morals. A church in Scotland is against this. They believe it is wrong to be “playing God.” On the other hand, people are saying that if they were given a chance to fix their child, they were genetically and that if the world has the option to change the genetic code of humans they should. The

Eugenics, the word that got its bad reputation years ago through an event that changed history: the Holocaust. First dubbed by Francis Galton in the 1880’s, the word Eugenics stemmed from the words “good” and “generation.” (Eugenics-Meanings) Eugenics means the study of or belief in the possibility of improving the qualities of the human species or a human population. This improvement is done through discouraging reproduction by persons having genetic defects or presumed to have inheritable undesirable traits (negative eugenics); or encouraging reproduction by persons presumed to have inheritable desirable traits (positive eugenics). (Contemporary)There have always been heated discussions over right or wrong, moral or immoral concerning

One thing that many people disagree upon is whether or not eugenics and genetic cloning is ethically right or wrong. On one hand, it could eliminate children being born with life threatening diseases by forewarning parents of potential medical problems. “It is known that hemophilia, albinism, and certain structural abnormalities are inheritable. Family gene maps, called pedigrees, can help families with serious diseases avoid having children with the same diseases through genetic counseling, and, increasingly, prospective parents can be tested directly for the presence of undesired genes.” (Prothero)