Genetic Screening: Health benefits versus Ethical Issues Summary Nowadays, the development in technologies and sciences has lead into a new diagnostic technique called genetic screening. Genetic screening can be used for identifying mutated gene and chromosome which lead into genetic disease such as Alzheimer. Thus, by doing genetic screening, we can have a better understanding about our health condition even before the symptoms of the disease appear. We also can prepare for the treatment for our disease if the result shows an indication of disease. However, some ethical issues have been major concern in doing genetic screening. Pro and contra from the genetic screening arise with the assumption that surely by doing genetic screening people …show more content…
Imagine how people feel when they know that they have some serious genetic disease that even some of the disease still cannot be cured and there is no treatment for the disease. Mental distress and serious decision have to be felt by people that have a bad result from the genetic screening. The major disadvantages of genetic screening are all the negative impacts felt by the individual tested and/or their families. Discrimination also become one of the major concern that resulted from genetic screening. People that have been positively tested to have an uncured disease such as Alzheimer must bear with the fear of experiencing the disease. They must decide whether they have to tell their relatives about the bad news. The insurance company and the other companies will not give insurance and job for them because of their …show more content…
There are some changes that have to be made to concur all problems related to genetic screening. People have to think more about their health and their future. They must have a desire to live longer so they will do anything for their health, one of them is doing genetic screening. By doing genetic screening, they can monitor their health even before they have not had the symptoms. Scientists and doctor have to be able to develop the genetic screening into a more reliable one. They have to find a way to increase the quality of the genetic screening result. Until now, not all of the disease can be identified using genetic screening, scientist must do research and find a lot more genetic sequence that can be used for identifying disease. Socialization about genetic screening have to be done to gain more understanding about this topic for common people. Government must pay attention to the fate of people that already done the genetic screening. Donation both in materials and mental have to be prepared for those who have unpleasant results. Before doing genetic screening, people must gain understanding about what they will going to do and consult about all of the important things with the experts. Furthermore, people should have be more open to other people. Discrimination has to be eliminated so people can take care of each other and loving each other. The research of genetic
In today’s modern age science is moving at a rapid pace; one of those scientific fields that has taken the largest leaps is that of genetics. When genetics first comes to mind, many of us think of it as a type of science fiction, or a mystical dream. Yet genetics is here, it is real, and has numerous ethical implications.
Advantages of genetic testing may be helpful in determining whether or not you have a disease or are proba...
Rachel was 40 years old when she moved from India to USA with her husband and four kids to fulfill their American dreams. She knew little english and had great difficulty fitting into the new environment in America. She was unable to work because she had to take care of her 10- month-old daughter. Her husband, who was a lawyer in India, was now working at Forman Mills for minimum wage. Recently, Rachel was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. Her doctors said her tumor is almost seven years old and if she has routine check ups, her survival rate will be higher. Rachel did not have a health insurance and because of this, she postponed necessary care and avoided preventive care. Even though she gets basic treatments from Public Healthcare Center it is not enough for this chronic disease. Her family is helpless; if her husband took insurance coverage from workplace there would be little money left for their daily expenses after paying for insurance premiums. Her husband is now planning to take another job so he can take workplace insurance and save his wife.
In Gattaca, the plot focuses on the ethics, the risks, and the emotional impact of genetic testing in the nearby future. The film was released in the 90s; yet in the present, the film does not give the impression of science fiction. Today, genetic testing is prevalent in many aspects of the scientific community. This paper will describe genetic testing, its purpose, diagnostic techniques that use genetic testing, relating Huntington’s disease to genetic testing, and the pros and cons of genetic testing.
Due to the human genome project and other genetic research, tests for mutation which cause diseases have been developed. The list of these illnesses include several types of cancer. Doctors have estimated that as many as 3,000 diseases are due to mutations in the genome. These diseases include several types of colon cancer in which three different genetic tests have been already developed. Debates have arisen on whether these tests should be used regularly or not. Questions including the patients= rights of privacy and the possibility of loss of health or life insurance have been argued over in both the media and political arena.
When comparing “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues” by Rob Stein, “Genetic Testing” by NYU Langone Medical Center and Misdiagnoses: A hidden risk of genetic testing by Jacqueline Howard, one can notice differences and similarities. The article “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues” is about some of the issues that arise due to a proposed treatment. The article “Genetic Testing” is about the genetic tests that exist and explains the ethical issues that genetic testing can create. The video Misdiagnoses: A hidden risk of genetic testing explains how a couple misinterpreted the genetic results they obtained. They did not see that their genetic test did not check for a specific disease
Richard Williams proposed that the issue of human freedom be re-conceptualized. Rejecting the traditional view of self-direction as the possibility of choosing among alternatives, Williams suggested that we ground our understanding of individual freedom in morality. In this view, human freedom is enhanced as one "lives truthfully." Truthful living runs counter to self-deception and thereby opens the way for greater freedom, which is fundamentally concerned with being, or existing. It is also concerned with doing or choosing, but only as such individual actions harmonize with an already existing schema of existence When the act of choosing results in self-deception, one cannot automatically assume that choice has been exercised. If deception occurs, one has merely used the freedom to choose to step out of the arena in which it exists. The Aristotelian ethics concurs with the basic tenets of Williams' philosophy.
First, let's consider the situations in which genetic testing would be beneficial to patients. Genetic testing for diseases that are preventable or treatable could allow individuals to alter their lifestyles so as to treat the disease or reduce their risk of developing the disease. For instance, the E2 version of the APOE gene, which is found on chromosome 19, has been linked to heart disease (Ridley, 1999). Individuals who have two copies of the E2 gene are particularly sensitive to high-fat and high-cholesterol diets. Therefore, a genetic test to determine whether a person has the high-risk version of the APOE gene could inform a person of future health risks, thereby allowing the person to change his diet to help prev...
The desire to have a "normal" child is held by every parent and only now are we beginning to have the ability to select for that child. In preparation to receiving genetic testing, the parents are required to meet with a genetic counselor. A detailed description of the testing methods are reviewed with the couple as well as the risks which are involved with each. Upon an understanding of the procedures, the counselor discusses the many possible outcomes which could be the result of the diagnosis. Finally, before any tests are performed, anxieties from either of the parents are addressed as well as the psychological well-being of the parents.
Currently, the studies of genomics and genetics have made many medical advances. Genomics is the study of genes and their function within the human body. The study of genomics has the potential to diagnose a possible health risk. With this knowledge, ethical issues have generated many questions by healthcare professionals. The issue with genomics is confidentiality and privacy surrounding genetic testing. The purpose of this paper will be to explore the ethical issues involved with the use of genetic information and patient confidentiality of two family members presented in a case study of the work of Lea (2008).
Genetic testing has potential benefits whether the results are positive or negative for a gene mutation. Test results can provide a sense of relief from uncertainty and help people make informed decisions about managing their health care. (What) Being able to see the genetic disorder that you baby may have while still in the womb, is really awesome how you don’t have to deliver the baby to see of they have a disorder. Even though you can find this out before the baby is born and it can be pretty scary you still have a higher chance that the baby
The stress of genetic testing results, that may shorten your life or have no cure, will disrupt an individual physically and emotionally. Healthy people who carry the burden of having a life-threatening disease lack strong social support and coping skills. “The anxiety of living with the likelihood of one or more specific, chronic, debilitating disease create psychological burdens that outweigh the therapeutic potential of lifestyle changes or earlier treatment due to increased vigilance” (Kjono). Survivors guilt, or a mental condition experienced by those who have survived a catastrophic event that took the life of others’. For example, a brother or a sister who carry a gene alteration, like cancer, and one sibling has an increased potential for diagnosis, the other sibling will feel guilty for escaping the increased risk. Not only can a negative genetic testing result affect your well-being, but also your ability to obtain health and life insurance. “Genetic testing may permit a much more complete and refine...
Genetic testing, also known as screening, is a rapidly advancing new scientific field that can potentially revolutionize not only the world of medicine, but many aspects of our lives. Genetic screening is the sequencing of human DNA in order to discover genetic differences, anomalies, or mutations that may prove pathological. As genetic screening becomes more advanced and easily accessible, it presents society with difficult questions that must be asked about the boundaries of science and to what degree we are allowed to tamper with the human genome. To better understand the potential impact of genetic screening on our society, we must examine the potential benefits in comparison to the possible negative impact it may cause. With this knowledge in hand, we can examine what the future holds for this field of study and the best possible direction to take.
Genetic testing has become very popular as technology has improved, and has opened many doors in the scientific community. Genetic testing first started in 1866 by a scientist known as, Gregor Mendel, when he published his work on pea plants. The rest was history after his eyes opening experiments on pea plants. However, like any other scientific discovery, it bought conflicts which caused major controversies and a large population disagreed with the concept of playing with the genetic codes of human beings. Playing God was the main argument that people argument that people had against genetics. genetic testing became one of the major conflicts conflicts to talk about, due to the fact that parents could now have the option of deciding if they
Individuals identified as carrying potentially harmful genetic alterations can receive regular medical check-ups and be eligible for screening to enable early detection