Ethical Issues Surrounding Genetic Screening and Genetic Engineering

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Ethical Issues Surrounding Genetic Screening and Genetic Engineering

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.

One of the particular areas of interest is prenatal genetics. In this field, many new and outstanding innovations have been made. A mother and father can now check for a large array of disorders that could occur in their child; sexual preference has now been shifted from the hands of a higher being to that of someone with a Ph.D.; and in the near future, a couple will possibly be able to choose the physical features of their child, such as hair color, eye color, etc. Scientifically speaking, all of these new options that parents have is amazing. Not only can they have a healthy baby, but one that is going to be stronger, and better looking. Yet, ethically speaking, many people would dislike the “playing” of God. And when it becomes possible to create a perfect child, what will prevent us in society from doing so? The field of genetics in prenatal situations has become very advanced over the past few years, yet many of these advancements have given arise to unethical applications.

In 1990, the first great stride of genetics took place. This was called the Human Genome Project, a large-scale operation that was designed to understand the human genome (genetic structure). Since its commencement, there have been many leaps and bounds that have taken place. For certain genetic issues that we once knew nothing about, we no...

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Kluger, Jeffrey. “Who owns our genes?”Time 163.1 Jan. (1999): 51

Parens, Erik., Adrienne Asch. “The Disability Rights Critique of Prenatal Genetic

testing: reflections and recommendations.” The Hastings Center Report 29.5 Sept./Oct. (1999): S1-S22

Pearson, John. “Regulation In the Face of Technological Advance: Who

Makes These Cells Anyway?” Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics, & Public Policy 13.1 (1999): 1-8.

Reiss, Michael. “What Sort of People Do We Want? The Ethics of Changing People

Through Genetic Engineering.” Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics, & Public Policy 13.1 (1999): 63-92.

White, Mary. “Making Responsible Decisions: An Interpretive Ethic for Genetic Decisionmaking.” The Hastings Center Report 29.1 Jan./Feb. (1999): 14-21.

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