Preview

Ethical Issues With Genetic Testing

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1028 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ethical Issues With Genetic Testing
There are certain things in life that you can’t control or prevent but with a simple genetic test you can have answers to many unanswered questions that could be about certain medical issues. Knowing the results could be very scary but at least knowing can be the first to step to taking control of your life. For those that don’t know what is a genetic test, “As scientific and medical discoveries help us better understand how our genetic make up affects our bodies and our health, new tests are also being developed to help individuals know whether their genes align with certain diseases or conditions” (verywell.com). Personally I got to know about a story that inspired me to learn more about genetic testing. The medical ethical issues that come …show more content…
The other medical ethical issue about genetic testing is to either make it mandatory or not when it comes to newborns. A genetics test on newborns could determine early disorders to help make an early treatment for the baby. They also have genetic tests on embryos, so while they are still inside the mother, the only affect on testing on embryos is the possible of a miscarriage just like my co-workers third pregnancy- “The doctor removes a small piece of the placenta to check for genetic problems in the fetus. Because chorionic villus sampling is an invasive test, there's a small risk that it can induce a miscarriage” (kidshealth.org). Genetic testing does come along with medical ethical issues because people believe it is morally wrong to interrupt with God’s work those that see it wrong believe that there is a reason behind everything even if it has something to with medical

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Risks associated with genetic testing risk of discrimination in health insurance and employment. Also, people may experience emotional, social, or financial consequences from the test results.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tay Sachs Research Paper

    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Genetic testing can also be performed on parents before they conceive a child to determine whether they are carriers of the disease. This would be especially important if both parents were from high-risk populations to prevent families from going through this horrible experience.…

    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Human Genome project, a revolutionary study that spanned over 13 years, hoped to discover more about the DNA of humans. The study's main goal was to provide new information to help with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of genetic disorders. From the substantial amount of information and knowledge acquired from the project, new ways to test for genetic disorders, and the probabilities of inheriting disorders was gained. Gene testing, which involved taking a sample of a persons DNA, helped screen for a number of different disorders and problems. Before genetic testing, couples at risk of conceiving a child with a particular genetic disorder would have to initiate the pregnancy and then undergo the testing, faced with the dilemma of terminating the birth if the results weren't good. But because of the new technology available, with the combined effort of IVF, sperm and egg cells can be removed from both individuals, and the eggs would then be fertilized within a laboratory. The embryo's would then be tested for genetic mutations,…

    • 701 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Genetic testing has potential benefits, such as you can see if your chromosomes are positive for a genetic mutation. Test results can provide a sense of relief from uncertainty about having a mentally or physical ill child because no one wants that for your child. They also help people make informed decisions about managing their health care. For example, a negative result for the mutation can eliminate the need for unnecessary checkups and screening tests in some cases. A positive result, having the mutation, can direct a person toward available prevention, monitoring, and treatment options. Some test results can also help people make decisions about having children. Newborn screening can identify genetic disorders early in life so treatment can be started as early as possible.…

    • 632 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    How much of genetic information can the parents or relatives access raises a concern that it might result in an excessive use of reprogenetics. Furthermore, if scientists allow DNA screening for parents to avoid passing genetic diseases to their children, that might lead to more designer babies. Human genetic engineering is new and current field that has its pros and cons. Therefore, we should be more concerned about setting up the limits of how much access the public and scientists can have on genetic information, and taking in consideration the ethical issues behind…

    • 255 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Some of the pros include providing a sense of relief to parents who are concerned and uncertain of the possibility of their child having a disorder (if the test is negative), if it is bad news, at least the parents can be prepared mentally as to what they can be faced with. Early detection is key, if detected early, a plan can be set in place as to the future doctor's appointments, accommodations for the child, and possible surgeries if needed to plan ahead. Also, if diagnosed early, appropriate treatment can be given to the fetus before and after birth if necessary (Lea, Williams & Donahue, 2005, pp. 234-240). Genetic conditions often run in the family, defective genes may be carried from generation to generation whether physically present or not. Information gathered from testing can also help members of the family to be on high alert when planning for children of their own (Kuehn, 2008, pp. 1637-1639). The "Prenatal Genome Testing Sparks Debate" article describes another pro although difficulty to consider, as the parents having the choice to terminate the pregnancy if they feel that the responsibility of their baby's condition is too much (2008). On the other hand, some of the cons include creating anxiety for the parents because of the testing and the results to come. But as mentioned above, one of the problems with genetic and prenatal testing is that it gives false results. The person has to know going into the test that there is a possibility that a negative test can turn out to be positive and that a positive test can turn out to be negative (Schmitz, 2013, pp. 357-364). Another con is the view on terminating the pregnancy if indeed the child has an abnormality. Especially religious groups feel that regardless of chromosomal abnormalities, terminating is not right. This can also cause trouble between the mother and father as well (Schmitz, 2013, pp. 357-364). As mentioned above, the cost of…

    • 1673 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eugenics Ethical Issues

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages

    I believe that the Eugenics program had many issues, both technical and ethical. The basis of the Eugenics program - that an individual’s life can be seen as “a burden” and not worth society’s resources - brings up multiple moral arguments. Who is the judge of whether a life is more valuable than another? Does this not give government workers and referrers the jurisdiction to play God? Inherently, this program had a multitude of factors that were not taken into account. One issue is the measurements used to quantify whether a person should have the right to reproduce or not. The qualifications were too unclear, and a range of reasons were used, from IQ tests, mental illness, handicaps, and even sexual promiscuity. Moreover, while the program was active, the state did not clarify who should make the final decisions. Unlike most states, in which medical professionals mainly acted as the final word, North Carolina allowed social workers, medical professionals, teachers, and even neighbors to have a say in who could possibly be sterilized. Many of these individuals reported unsuspecting…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Just a simple test can cause such a massive effect on someone’s daily life. Many victims to genetic testing are affected by these examinations in such a negative way that many of these people develop the inability to exercise a happy lifestyle with their family, peers, or society…

    • 478 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    From a patient’s perspective, people tend to see genetic information as more definitive, in the sense that 'you cannot change your genes' and that 'genes tell all about your future.’ Such genetic determinism is an oversimplification and does not take into account the nature of biologic pathways. From a provider’s perspective, genomics presents challenges with respect to ethical and professional responsibilities, including the appropriate use of genomic information in the health care setting. I believe that there should be an identification of provider education programs that increase use of appropriate screening, counseling and evidence-based genetic tests. By increasing the effectiveness of genomic testing, it will help dissolve the negative association and further increase the proportion of people who are willing to receive genetic…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Image Analysis

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    For those parents who carry known diseases, genetic modification is a dream come true. No longer do they need to worry whether it would be ethical to conceive a child that may be sentenced to a lifetime of suffering, humiliation, or possibly premature death. They can choose to eliminate those genes and/or embryos that carry the disease. As a parent, I can truly sympathize with this incredibly heart wrenching decision.…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Biology

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Genetic testing can cause either a feeling of relief or anxiety, depending on the outcome of the test results. Ultimately, testing provides individuals with an opportunity to seek genetic counselling so that the risk of inheriting a genetic disease may be reduced. Testing can lessen the anxiety of not knowing the possibility of developing a disease and provide a tremendous sense of relief once a definitive test result is given. An individual who chooses to undergo testing has the opportunity to seek medical help, prepare for, and possibly help prevent, a genetically caused condition. Testing can help people to make more informed decisions about their future.…

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    As research continues to uncover new disease-causing mutations, the prospect of stopping the transmission of heritable diseases increases. With the use of modern technology, expecting parents can now be prescreened in order to determine their carrier status for certain diseases. Parents who choose to use in vitro fertilization are able to choose embryos that are free of disease due to preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Additionally, parents can be provided with information on their unborn child with the use of prenatal genetic testing. Some individuals view modern genetic technology as eugenic; however, this biggest difference between eugenics now and eugenics during the 1900s is consent. Today individuals pursue genetic testing by choice and policies on ethics and consent prevent reoccurrences of the immoral endeavors within the field of…

    • 585 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    prenatal genetic testing

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The prenatal testing is a logical extension of good prenatal care: the idea is that prenatal testing helps prospective parents have healthy babies, on the other hand this perception is quite reasonable; nonetheless, no researcher has yet even attempted to correct a genetic impairment with in-utero gene therapy, increasingly there are non-genetic approaches to such impairment.…

    • 495 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    For the benefit of having access to a full genetic screening, an ethical issue would arise as to whether the information about certain codes like predisposition to diseases would be helpful or harmful to a client. Similarly, screening for genetic abnormalities prenatally could lead to unsafe abortions if the child is abnormal or just a general anxiousness for their baby. While there are many benefits of genetic screening, the ethical dilemmas that accompany each one are…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    If you could take the chance to see if your baby had any harmful diseases before delivery, would you? There needs to be accessibility to the tests so that parents will be more ready financially and emotionally for any birth abnormalities. 1 in 33 babies are affected with birth defects in the US each year (Prenatal Nierneberg). Birth defects could be prevented or the parents could be ready for the possible outcomes after birth. The Federal government should legislate for more accessibility to prenatal genetic testing by increasing funding to testing facilities, increasing funding towards research for new forms of testing, and by reducing restrictions on physicians.…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays