Risk and Reproductive Decisions: British Pakistani Couples’ Responses to Genetic Counselling
'Risk is in the eye of the beholder. ' With contemporary examples discuss what is meant by the risk for the individual and society.
In this essay I am going to explore the genetic, cultural and social risks occurring when certain communities marry within their own family, i.e. in the Asian communities marrying cousins using contemporary examples of the medical, ethical and sociological effects on individuals and society in Britain. While there is no law in Britain against first cousins marrying each other, I will explore claims that the genetic risk for disability occurring in children born from these relationships and how the risks are disregarded in favour of cultural and religious traditions. I will use arguments from government statistics on the actual genetic risks alongside opinionated and perceived social risks from newspapers and other sources using both sides to conclude which should be more important and which are dominantly taken into account by the individual.
To date there has been conclusive scientific evidence that consanguineous marriages within the Pakistani community have a high medical risk for disorders and disabilities occurring in one or more children. 'For anyone, the risk of having a child affected by a genetic condition is comparatively low. According to birth incidence data, the risk of having a child with a congenital or genetic (including recessive) disorder is about 2 per cent. The risk doubles to about 4 per cent for first-cousin couples, mainly because of the increased risk of recessive disorders. ' (Shaw A, 2004) . Although the evidence does not suggest that all Pakistani couples will be at risk, only those with a recessive gene, using deductive reasoning most would disregard the long term effects if the short term gain was a hedonistic choice that would bring immediate pleasure to themselves and others around them. 'psychologists studying deductive reasoning have found some typical errors, such as difficulty accepting
In this essay I am going to explore the genetic, cultural and social risks occurring when certain communities marry within their own family, i.e. in the Asian communities marrying cousins using contemporary examples of the medical, ethical and sociological effects on individuals and society in Britain. While there is no law in Britain against first cousins marrying each other, I will explore claims that the genetic risk for disability occurring in children born from these relationships and how the risks are disregarded in favour of cultural and religious traditions. I will use arguments from government statistics on the actual genetic risks alongside opinionated and perceived social risks from newspapers and other sources using both sides to conclude which should be more important and which are dominantly taken into account by the individual.
To date there has been conclusive scientific evidence that consanguineous marriages within the Pakistani community have a high medical risk for disorders and disabilities occurring in one or more children. 'For anyone, the risk of having a child affected by a genetic condition is comparatively low. According to birth incidence data, the risk of having a child with a congenital or genetic (including recessive) disorder is about 2 per cent. The risk doubles to about 4 per cent for first-cousin couples, mainly because of the increased risk of recessive disorders. ' (Shaw A, 2004) . Although the evidence does not suggest that all Pakistani couples will be at risk, only those with a recessive gene, using deductive reasoning most would disregard the long term effects if the short term gain was a hedonistic choice that would bring immediate pleasure to themselves and others around them. 'psychologists studying deductive reasoning have found some typical errors, such as difficulty accepting
Bibliography: Alidina, R. (2010). When Cousins Marry: Doctor 's Feature. Available: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/articles/when-cousins-marry-doctors-feature. Last accessed Oct 2012. Bulter G & McManus F, 2000, Psychology A very short introduction, Page 47-48, Oxford University Press, accessed November 2012 Human Genetics Commission, Cousin marriages, http://www.hgc.gov.uk/Client/Content.asp?ContentId=741, accessed October 2012 Shaw, A. (2003). The impact of genetic risk on UK Pakistani families. Available: http://genome.wellcome.ac.uk/doc_WTD020975.html. Last accessed Nov 2012. Shaw, A. (2009). Genetic Counselling for Muslim Families of Pakistani and Bangladeshi Origin in Britain. Available: http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/ElsArticle/refId-a0005938.html. Last accessed Nov 2012 Shaw, A Shaw, A and Hurst, J. (2009). Ethnicity & Health. Available: http://www.channel4.com/microsites/D/Dispatches/when_cousins_marry/cousins_6.pdf. Last accessed Nov 2012.