The Controversial Topic of Genetic Testing

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. In 1993 a pamphlet by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute was released heralding Gene Therapy. Although gene testing had been around and used for various procedures and breakthroughs, gene therapy had the potential to change the face of research, as we knew it. Medical scientists had finally found a

These results may also help doctors make recommendations for treatment or monitoring, and give people more information for making decisions about their and their family's health, allowing them to take steps to lower his/her chance of developing a disease. For example, as the result of such a finding, someone could be screened earlier and more frequently for the disease and/or could make changes to health habits like diet and exercise. Such a genetic test result can lower a person's feelings of uncertainty, and this information can also help people to make informed choices about their future, such as whether to have a baby or

The Human Genome Project introduces significant scientific findings to the world, but raises a lot of controversies. Many of these controversies concern the application of this new scientific finding and its ethicality. Genetic information from a project, once aimed towards mapping the human genome in hope for curing diseases, are now being used in businesses. It shouldn’t be permissible for employers to require that all employees, as well as potential employees, be screened for genetic vulnerabilities and to use the results of such screening when they make hiring, retention, and job assignment decisions. These genetic vulnerabilities may include diseases, unsuitable personality traits and other traits the company deems undesirable. Employees shouldn’t be judged by their genes, because the results do not adequately speak for what the employees will do in life, the employee’s position in the society, and the employee’s financial standing. Genetic testing should be an option for the employees to decide on job assignment rather than influence the hiring decisions of employers. Genetic testing only shows genetic potential, not potential growth. Conducting genetic testings on employees infringes on their privacy and encourage more social gaps with genetic classes.

In the video, Personal DNA Testing, Neil Tyson states “knowing our genetic risk for disease will actually lead us to longer, healthier lives” (Tyson). However, there are various negative and positive factors of genetic testing that make it questionable. For example, individuals that are aware of hereditary diseases should consider this type of tool, so they can prevent it. On the other hand, people do not know if the results will be accurate because error is possible. It is important to research this type of test before requesting approval.

The Human Genome Project introduces a significant scientific finding to the world, but raises a lot of controversies. Many controversies related to the Human Genome Project are issues concerning the application of this new scientific finding and its ethicality. Genetic information from a project that once has an aim to map the human genome in hope for curing diseases are now being used in businesses. It shouldn’t be permissible for employers to require that all employees, as well as potential employees, be screened for genetic vulnerabilities and to use the results of such screening when they make hiring, retention, and job assignment decisions. These genetic vulnerabilities may include diseases, unsuitable personality traits and other undesirable traits according to the company’s judgements. Employees shouldn’t be judged by their genes, because the results are inadequate to judge what the employees will do in life, the employee’s position in the society, and the employee’s financial standing. Genetic testing should be an option for the employees to decide on job assignment rather than hiring decisions. Genetic testing only shows potential. Conducting genetic tests on employees is infringing their privacy and will also create more social gaps with genetic classes.

Genetic testing, do we or don’t we? This is the question. Advances in science, as they call them, are able to screen for some types of genetic disorders. Although this type of testing has allowed the opportunity to test couples who are at risk for Tay-Sachs and others who are at risk for Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, and Huntington’s disease there are still vast limitations. There is a potential for the loss of privacy, test errors, psychological and social stress. Overall genetic testing has the potential to be wholly deterministic and results in information that is simply probabilistic. Errors could occur and result in severely misreading test results deluding individuals about their personal health. The contingency surrounding genetic

Know you're future now. A new trend in science today. Genetic testing, is a world of benefits for individuals who are selected for this test. Knowing that he could have possibly offspring with birth defects or serious health problems among the main reasons why choose individuals that these genetic tests done. Not when it comes to genetic testing on pregnant women and there is a small controversy. Parents should do genetic testing or not. one perfect example is the Cell-Free Fetal DNA Test.

Finally, although there are many obvious benefits to the use of genetic screening, after all it would potentially save companies millions in training fees, some things are definitely better left to chance. If we start meddling with our own fate too much, we lose the very things that make us human, our imperfections, and that is who we are, and we can't sacrifice

The decision to do genetic testing and the results of the test do not only affect the individual being tested, but also the family of the individual. Guilt is often felt by the parents of the child, but also with the individuals whose test results are negative when their siblings test(s) is/are positive. There is also the possibility of the way that people interact with the individual changes after the results are back, which could lead to discrimination or

Ever heard of Genetic Testing? It’s a branch of Genetic Science (Genetic Science is pretty much characterizing the etiology of illness.) that involves testing the Genome to find mutations that cause disease or will cause disease, an example of this being the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, these genes can get a massive variety of genetic mutations that cause cancer. ("Genetic Testing for Cancer: A Complex Decision.") All in all it’s a slowly building advancement in science that’s slowly increasing to a field of massive size. “You know, every week, there’s a new company, there’s a new test, there’s a new competitor.” ("Will Sequencing Your Genes Change The Way You Live ? And Die?.") However it has a lot of controversy and quite a few ethical issues that come along with it, an example being the fact that people that already have defects tend to dislike these tests.(Middleton) However if human lives could be saved or even made better because of this, then why shouldn’t it be allowed to progress? Genetic Testing is definitely a good thing and the field should be allowed to advance. It could save thousands upon thousands of lives. The benefits that come from Genetic Testing far outweigh the risks that come with it.

The more knowledge from genetic testing for possible genetic disorders, the more precautions you can take. For example, if you know you have a high risk of getting melanoma from genetic testing you will most likely wear sunscreen or stay out of the sun. Another example is genetic heart disease. Genetic heart disease is a one of the disorders that can be controlled through healthy living. “Researchers have shown that an individual's risk of developing a genetic heart disease can be cut in half when having 4 healthy habits. These habits include not smoking, having a healthy diet, exercising, and not being obese” (Harvard Publishing). When an individual has a high risk of getting a genetic disease, it may influence them to living a healthier lifestyle.

The dawn of new medicine has provided opportunities for members of society to optimise their health and knowledge of themselves on a genetic level. Genetic tests consist of identifying changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins.in order to rule out or confirm a suspected disease or disorder a genetic test can be used. The genetic test can also help to determine an individual’s chance of developing or passing on a faulty gene. The prognosis provided by genetic testing is beneficial for members of society that are susceptible to developing genetic diseases such as familial atrial fibrillation, because it allows for intervention and preventative therapy. Genetic testing can help decrease the number deaths caused by genetic diseases as it allows

Another huge problem people have with genetic testing is that we might go overboard with it. With that I mean people might be given medicine for things that might happen. I’m positive that real doctors won't give any drugs to people unless they’re 100 percent sure of the disease. If it’s determined that the child has an increased risk of cancer, parents will just be warned and told the symptoms to look for.

(In other words, some genetic tests could actually be considered to be pointless.) "According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates the manufacturers of genetic tests, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which promotes health and quality of life, some of these tests lack scientific validity, and others provide medical results that are meaningful only in the context of a full medical evaluation," - "At-Home Genetic Tests: Worth The Risk". This citation clearly shows the the reader that some of the test lack "scientific validity". As previously mentioned, this shows some genetic tests are not valid or accurate. (Later in the text, the author mentions the genetic test may not be accurate because genetic tests only look at a small amount of genes in your body. Potentially, there may be a negative gene your body missed.) In conclusion, I believe the information learned from genetic testing due to the several reasons mentioned in this

The increase in genetic testing has resulted in the convergence of public health, morals and ethics. Many ethics related issues arise with genetic testing, as well of fear that insurance companies will not reimburse such services. Many moral and ethical obligations appear with genetic testing. For instance, the decision to inform relatives of a patient with test results, whether positive or negative is highly controversial. The decision to inform or not varies, and is based on different moral theories.