Recent advances in biotechnology have enabled the practice of genetic testing to become more assessable. Genetic testing holds a great number of benefits, such as early diagnosis, or personalized treatment. Although there are some limitations and disadvantages. Genetic testing can only tell someone so much; it doesn’t indicate a definite conclusion as to if a disease will even manifest itself or how bad the symptoms may be. Even with these limitations I believe that the benefits far outweigh these disadvantages. In the 1970’s genetic testing really took off when it was discovered that chromosomes could be examined from extracted fetal cells (Press, 2008). Also at this time new born screening became a norm when testing for PKU. Similarly, …show more content…
There is a possibility of discrimination by insurance companies, they could refuse insurance or increase premiums to those with the potential of developing a debilitating genetic disease. Similarly, most employers must provide insurance for their employees. A potential employer may not hire a person with undesirable genes because they would become a liability (1998). One study found that out of 42 genetic discrimination incidences, all but two involved insurance or employment institutions (Billings et al., 1992). All individuals included in this study where either asymptomatic, had a nonfatal condition, or may be at risk for a genetic disease but have yet to be tested. Because of this obvious problem the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act was passed in an attempt to protect those who have undergone DNA …show more content…
I support the continuation of research working towards improving the technologies and uses of genetic testing. Benefits include the ability to inform a patient of a predisposition to addictive behaviors, testing could catch a disease early, such as cancer, allowing for better treatment options, and the ability to personalize those treatments by adjusting dosage of a drug accordingly (Khoury et al. 2006). The population as a whole would benefit from regular use of genetic testing, it could improve the quality of life for those who will develop a disease, and could give those who may be predisposed to a genetic disorder peace of mind. Personally I would want to know if I had a terrible genetic disease because I could mentally prepare for the day symptoms begin. There’s always a possibility that someone has an idea on how to treat said disorder and I could participate in research to help future generations with the same disease. Knowing would also allow me to live life freely, without the uncertainty of whether or not I will develop symptoms. Similarly, if I did choose to have kids I would want them tested for any preventable genetic disorders so treatment could start as early as possible. For example, PKU is a disease that when caught early it can be treated. For example, Khoury et al found that health risks associated with PKU could be reduced from 1 per 20,000 individuals showing severe symptoms to 0 by
There are two main ways genetic testing places a constraint on a child’s right to an open future. The first of these is that the revelation of a child’s disease status can change his life narrative and the way parents and others treat him, and substantially alter his or her life’s trajectory (Davis _____). Parents may feel guilty or shelter their not-yet-sick
The view over genetic testing starts with establishing necessary definitions and discussing its purpose in our world. To start off, the human body is a complex multicellular system. Every cell in the body is comprised of the same DNA (with some exceptions), which stores our genes. These genes are the set of instructions that encode the proteins necessary to create and maintain the human body. The issue is that some genes can undergo a variety of mutations during development that cause an array of complications or disease. Gene therapy can modify the designated abnormal genes to reach normalcy, while genetic engineering focuses on enhancement and surpassing what is normal. However, the goal of genetic testing is to identify the abnormalities
It is patients’ right to opt for genetic testing on their own DNA, although they are accepting a great risk by doing so.
Just as most bioethicists and medical professionals agree that genetic testing for curable or preventable diseases is beneficial to patients, they also agree that genetic testing for incurable and untreatable diseases, such as Alzheimer's, is useless (Hubbard & Wald, 1999; Ridley, 1999). Although a negative test may afford a person the reassurance that he or she will not develop the disease, a positive test could be a death sentence. For example, since 1986 people who are at risk for Huntington's disease have had the option of being tested for the mutation on chromosome 4 that is linked to the disease (Ridley, 1999). In Genome, Nancy Wexler, a woman who set out to identify the Huntington's gene in the late 1970s, relates the story of a woman who asked doctors whether or not she had Huntington's disease (Ridley, 1999). Although the doctors found that the woman was showing subtle signs of the disease, she could not detect these signs herself. The doctors, rather than telling the woman that she had the disease, let her believe that she was well and did not have Huntington's disease. After the woman left the doctors' office, the woman's friend came into the office and asked the doctors what they had said to the woman, because earlier the woman had told her friend that she
From 1990-2003 the Department of Energy coordinated a project called the Human Genome Project, in which it asked, "Why screen for individuals at increased risk for genetic diseases who do not exhibit symptoms? On the pro or benefit side, we want to reduce morbidity and mortality. The idea is, if we could find the disease early before
Results provided through genetic testing enables doctors to be more informed in terms of their patients; allows regular screening practices, or treatment planning at early stages.
Therefore, in 2008, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment. Employer cannot refuse to hire, or to discharge, any employee because of genetic information. In addition, it is unlawful to request, require or purchase genetic information of the employee (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2008). However, even with genetic non-discrimination legislation, mutation carriers may find themselves ineligible for life insurance and other long-term
Genetic testing has brought about many changes in the way many couples look at conceiving and raising families. Through genetic testing you are able to screen for the increased chance that a fetus may have one of many congenital disorders, or even identify gene changes that are responsible for a disease that has already been diagnosed (Genetic Testing, March 2015). Unfortunately genetic testing is not always exact, in some cases giving parents false negatives or false positive results. Even if the results are accurate, there is the burden of knowledge once you know the results indicate a genetic abnormality such as Down’s syndrome. While caring for a 2 year old male patient with developmental delays and anotia, I learned that genetic testing had been started but never completed on the child. Genetic testing could help to identify genetic disorders that led to the child’s developmental delays and possible future disorders that may develop. The ethical dilemma I will be discussing to the ANA Ethical dilemma of the impact of informed consent of genetic testing on children for adult onset diseases and disorders.
only lead to discrimination with insurance coverage but also with employers. Once the genetic information is part of the individual’s medical record, it may then be accessed by others. Cases of employers having used genetic information as part of the selection process have been found in Australia. Genetic discrimination has even been detected in the armed forces where a young man was asked to provide documentation that showed he was not predisposed to Marfan syndrome, of which he had a family history. Genetic discrimination is probably the biggest concern for individuals when it comes to the cause and effects of genetic testing upon society. Some of this concern roots from the extreme examples of world leaders and prevalent scientists in the
Although the gene chip will enable an individual to know whether he/she has a genetic disease, that person may not want to know the information. Many people are frightened that a positive finding on a genetic test will result in discrimination and ostracism because the society will consider them abnormal (Easthope 2005). The other concern is that with genetic test information one might lose or might be unable to get a job or insurance. There have been concerns that with the knowledge of one’s medical information after a gene test, he/she might suffer a psychological problem especially when the results reveal that one suffers from a terminal disease or has high possibility of suffering from one (Willis 2009).
The benefit of genetic science for individuals is that it can determine if the person has a possible genetic disorder and give them
genetic testing, everything has changed. She notes that clinicians now have the ability to diagnose, treat, and monitor a patient’s illnesses or disease progression in an entirely different manner. This is a far cry from the old medical model of responding to a disease (or defect) only after it appears, and then prescribing the recommended medication or intervention. These genetic medical advances sound miraculous and promising, but the ability to test, screen and provide early intervention does not come without many major ethical dilemmas.
As you can see genetic testing is very important and can affect a child's and parents lives for the better and the worst. Children all over the world have serious genetic diseases that affect their life on a daily. Some of these diseases are Achondroplasia, Down syndrome, and Turner's syndrome. Many believe genetic testing is a good way to test for these genetic conditions before the child is even born, but others think that it can harm the baby very badly and even cause a miscarriage, so they choose not to do this kind of testing. Knowing about the most serious genetic diseases is very important for expecting parents to be informed as well as being
Although genetic testing can benefit society in numerous ways, such as the diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases and ancestry verification, it also has the precarious capability to become a tool in selecting a more favorable genetic makeup of an individuals and ultimately cloning humans. Genetic testing will depreciate our quality of life and may result in discrimination, invasion of privacy, and harmful gene therapy.
Genetic screening is the testing of variations in gene sequences in protein or DNA. Protein screening is easier, but DNA screening is more powerful. It is a 'physical screening for a protein or genetic abnormality that may allow detection of a disorder before there are physical signs of it, or even before a gene is expressed if it acts later in life.' (web). This is a technique that is used on nonhuman species such as plants and some animals and is not questioned. The real question is if we should use it on humans.