Genetic Testing carries a particular set of ethical, legal, or social implications, depending on the reasoning behind the testing. For example is the test for medical purposes, diagnostic, or predictive with a treatment? Or is the testing done for personal decision-making reasons? That is, predictive without a treatment, carrier, or prenatal? In any circumstance, privacy and confidentiality are critical because the genetic results are directly related to an individual’s identity. Not only is confidentiality an issue for health care, but to prevent genetic discrimination in insurance coverage and employment, as well. Information from a genetic test can affect an entire family. If the disorder is either genetically dominant or carried by an individual,
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
Genetic testing refers to scientific diagnostics of an individual’s genetic composition. The test analysis the DNA in a person’s blood for genotypes, mutations or variations that can cause certain diseases and physical disabilities. Genetic testing has become popular secondary to the increasing desire of people in developing awareness of their genetic make-up and related potential susceptibility to debilitating diseases. There has been a public recognition of an increased risk of individuals being subjected to discrimination by employers, heath insurance companies and other organizations when one’s genetic information is disclosed. The inevitable need to protect people from discrimination by employers and businesses secondary to genetic information became clearly evident leading to efforts culminating in the passage of the Genetic Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) which was signed into law in 2008. This paper will clearly present a comprehensive summary of the significant events which resulted in the adoption of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. The interpretation and application of the Genetic Information
Over 50 years ago, the first code of ethics was implemented by the American Nurses Association (ANA), and over time, this code has been revised to encompass its current nine doctrines CITATION Ame151 \l 1033 (American Nurses Association, 2015). Although the code has undergone several modifications, the basic tenet is for nurses to “do no harm.” Genomics and current legislative privacy protocols place nurses in a position to potentially do unintentional harm. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether nurses have an ethical duty to maintain patient privacy regarding genetic test results that can prevent potential harm to others.
Genetic genealogy can set the stage for discrimination and inequality for those seeking minority status, for benefits and government handouts, or alternately, it can hold individuals back because of racism or bigotry; and lead to ‘genetically repackaged discrimination’. There is an uneven playing field, with some entities recognizing genetic testing results, yet others are rejecting it. While seeking personal identity is a worthwhile endeavor, another perspective brings a host of psychological, social, legal, political, and ethical worries. It is possible to uncover undesirable, or unexpected genetic ancestral ties that could lead to diverse identity issues, and other emotional, or financial consequences. Increasingly, genetic testing, or DNA, is used as a genealogical resource; it has potential to be used as a tool by narrowing down possibilities, but it can, also, be scientifically inaccurate. There are limitations in the science, both with interpretation of tests results, and with the databases. Avoiding inaccuracies requires sampling strategies and creating human population margins from genetic data. In addition, interpretation of ancestry tracing needs to be made less complicated for the consumer. While uncertainties are inherent, geneticists are optimistic about the future of genealogy using DNA.
Ethical Issues against Presymptomatic Genetics Testing I think the question of bioethics of molecular genetic testing will remain a long-term debate as long as there are new developments in biological science and medicine. Even though bioethics acts a solution to the ethical problems in the two fields, I feel that it still falls short when accounting for some complex advances in medicine. Ethics in medicine fall into three main categories: the autonomy of patients, practice of beneficence by medical professionals, and social justice. This paper will specifically address the ethical standpoint of presymptomatic genetic testing (PGT) in the field of molecular genetics and medicine.
In a post-genome age, reproductive genetics is becoming an increasingly pressing topic in the debate between advancements in genetic research and ethical policy. Today, parents are given an unprecedented amount of control over the future health of their children. Many different methods of genetic screening and prenatal testings are becoming more and more available to the public; however, due to the nuance of these genetic procedures, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the practical, ethical, and legal implications behind them. For example, a method called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) allows for parents who carry some form of genetic mutation or abnormality to be able to test an embryo (obtained via IVF) for the same genetic conditions. If the embryo comes back negative for those abnormalities, it is then transferred to the uterus for implantation, and If the embryo is positive, the parents then have the difficult decision of pre-pregnancy termination. Because the potential of this technology to screen for very specific trait and not only pertaining to medical necessity, the ethical issue of whether this will lead to problems such as genetic discrimination and gender bias are addressed. Thus, there is a growing dichotomy between those who support that reproductive genetics is an important preventative resource for debilitating genetic conditions and
What would you do if an immediate family member of yours developed a popular genetic disease and there was a possibility of you having it? Wouldn’t you want to know whether or not you had it as well, in your genes? Genetic testing allows for people to know if they have a certain genetic disease, if they need to get a certain treatment plan set up, or if there are ways to prevent it from becoming present or visible in the body. Genetic Discrimination is no longer legally allowed, meaning that there is no longer a need to fear the possibility of your genetic information getting into the wrong hands. Genetic testing should be done by anyone who may have a chance of developing any type of disease that could be life-threatening or not.
Unfortunately, genetic testing tends towards being inaccurate with specific empirical data missing, and the common tool for its analysis appears to be nothing more than fictionalized scenarios, accompanied by varying interpretations and applications of test results. (B-232) The more common ancestry tests rely on short stretches of DNA in mitochondria, the cell-powering organelles. These mitochondria are inherited through the mother, or on the Y chromosome which is passed down from father to son. Mitochondria and Y chromosomes developed specific changes to them as people migrated around and across the world, and tied them to different populations, but charting an unbroken line along ‘uniparental markers’ (the paternal or maternal line) is
What if I told you humans have the ability to test for every known disease that you could possibly be susceptible to in a lifetime? What if I told you we could reduce health care costs by eliminating diseases that drive up insurance premiums? What if I told you humanity could get smarter merely by the manipulation of DNA? Well we can, and we have the technology. Genetic testing is a type of medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. It is not eugenics, immoral, or murder. It is merely a test. Contrary to what many critics will say, genetic testing and genetic manipulation can play a vital role in shaping humanities future and development and although some precautions should be put in place to insure it is not used in an incorrect matter the benefits far outweigh the cons.
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.
Huntington disease is an inherited disease that affects the brain which results in affected individuals to pass away before the age of 50. As of today, there is no cure. Genetic testing is used to identify genes associated with various inherited diseases. Many people argue that they wouldn’t get tested due to financial issues, stress, or discrimination, but after discussing ethics in genetic testing, I strongly believe that it is best to get tested.
Did you know that there are more than 6,000 genetic diseases? (Hope Through Knowledge). A genetic disease can be defined as a disease caused by an abnormality in an individual's genome. Many genetic diseases can be very harmful, and may result in death. A genetic test contributes information to you and your physician to help you create an individualized plan. Genetic testing should be a standardized test for all individuals.
Pasacreta, J. V., Jacobs, L., & Cataldo, J. K. (2012). CE Credit: Genetic Testing for Breast and
provide an early treatment that would permit a person to live longer and more meaningful and
Privacy is a common concern for individuals considering utilising genetic testing. There is a highly likely chance that the information obtained from the test will be disclosed to the individual’s physician which these genetic tests are usually conducted under the supervision or suggestions of. Therefor all the results, whether it be positive or negative, end up with the physician. This disclosure of information is a major concern for some because the information, once passed to the physician, becomes part of the medical record of the individual and the information is then easily accessed by the insurance companies which the clinics are associates of. Insurers have an interest in utilising genetic information to underwrite an application for personal insurance. This may in turn affect the likelihood of the applicant making a claim under the policy. Insurers can ask applicants to disclose genetic information derived from a genetic test. The insurance companies may then charge extra due to the presence of the risk of a genetic disease. The disclosure of information can