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Genetic Testing And Its Social Implications

Applied genetics’ most impacts on society are as a result of genetic tests. In general, genetic tests seek to detect some feature of a person’s genetic constitution. This feature can be a disease causing mutation or a marker DNA sequence used to detect presence of another gene. Obviously these procedures used for testing the status of DNA, RNA or chromosomes are included in genetic tests. What is more it is possible to include some protein based tests and classical medical examinations when they aim to detect inheritance of a trait. Genetic tests have been divided into four categories in this text, and they will be examined in greater detail later. These categories are: Prenatal tests that are applied on fetuses during pregnancy. Neonatal screening just after birth and career screening of marrying couples. Testing for serious late-onset disease before the symptoms occur. Testing to assess the probability of developing complex disease. There are a couple of considerations about genetic tests:

1. First of all, the tests should be reliable. When a positive or a negative result is obtained, we should be confident in that result with a confidence approaching 100%. To achieve such a high accuracy is not as easy as it may at first


A. Prenatal Testing Prenatal testing is the process of testing the genetic status of an embryo when there is a risk of a serious monogenic disease or when there is a proliferated risk of gross chromosomal disorder such as Down’s syndrome. Prenatal testing should only be done if the parents are determined to terminate the pregnancy in the event of an unfavorable outcome. It is a very beneficial technology as it encourages couples, who had one genetically defective baby and do not want to have another child because of high risk, to attempt pregnancy by assuring them that in an adverse result pregnancy can be terminated. Positive aspects of such tests are easily distinguishable. However, there also are a number of controversial points. Prenatal tests are not totally free of risk. During prenatal tests, a sample from the embryo’s cells should be taken out by a procedure known as amniocentesis. It involves insertion of an injection to mother’s uterus and sucking some fluid from chorionic villus of the embryo. It can disturb the embryo. Amniocentesis carries a 1% risk of miscarriage. So, prenatal tests should only be applied when the risk of having a defective baby is much higher. Prenatal tests should only be made with an idea of termination of the pregnancy in mind. Genetic counselors should explain what it means thoroughly to the couple. As it is explained above, prenatal tests carry a considerable risk of miscarriage and it is not sensible to perform them if the couple would carry on with the pregnancy whatever the result is. Nonetheless, parents always keep the right of not terminating even if they will have a defective child. Some ethnic and religious groups may object the application of prenatal tests because of not accepting in principle the procedures like abortion following test. However, abortion is the legal right of pregnant woman in most countries and no one should be let to interfere with usage of this right. A lot of tests are applied to pregnant women to assure themselves and their embryo’s health status. It is a possibility that the prospective mother may not understand or confuse the nature of prenatal test. She may take a test without a view of termination. And she may become faced to carry out pregnancy in the knowledge that her child will be born defective i.e. with Down’s syndrome. Of course, prenatal tests should be routinely carried out when necessity arises, but the time should be taken to explain the nature of the test to the prospective mother.

2. Extremely accurate genetic tests can only be developed by thorough experimentation on human subjects. Although there is generally no physiological risk in experimenting a person, the subjects should be informed that the applied test is not entirely reliable and in experimentation state. Informing subjects of experimentation is an obligation set by the Nuremberg Code. Just after World War II it was discovered that unethical experiments had been performed on humans who were kept in concentration camps of Nazi Germany. This situation was discovered in Nuremberg Trials, and ethical and legal standards for medical experimentation were set then. Research and common medical procedures are distinct concepts. If a genetic test’s validity has been proven by extensive research and the test being used as a routine medical procedure to diagnose patients, it is no more considered as experimental and is not covered by the Nuremberg Code. Nevertheless, the patient should be well informed and his consent should be taken even before applying a routine test. The subject of the test should fully understand the nature of the test and the consequences that may arise from it. The subject of the test should be fully aware of the nature of the test and the consequences caused by the test. Therefore, a professional counselor is needed to psychologically counsel and inform the subjects both before and after the test is taken. Sometimes, the person taking the test cannot giv

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Approximate Word count = 3160
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)


  

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