The diseases that exist in our world are enough to make medicine and testing the only option of hope in times of need. People grow up happy and healthy, only to be diagnosed, in their middle age, with an adult-onset disease. These diseases only become a burden as the victim gets older. Some commonly known ones are Alzheimer’s or Huntington’s disease. There is no cure or treatment for adult-onset diseases like this. Knowing that the victims have these diseases written in their DNA from the moment they were born leads to an interesting argument. Several communities argue about whether parents or guardians should have the right to test their children for these diseases. There are many arguments, however, that stem from the social and ethical aspect of the effects it could have on the kids.
The arguments that are presented are understandable because every parent wants to do what is best for their child. However, the true question is whether or not it is actually their choice to make. Doctors constantly argue about the fact that deciding to test a child would “be denying him the chance to make the decision as an adult” (Klitzman). They are advised to allow their child to mature and make the decision when they are old enough. Choosing for them could be considered unethical because there is a chance the child may not want to know. The desire for testing children stems from the fact that parents hope they can “prevent disease and maintain a healthier lifestyle for their children” (Rochman). But how can you prevent a disease that hasn’t yet developed, especially without anything to assist. It seems wrong to push a kid into growing up knowing his or her life will be cut short by a disease, but there is nothing they can do about it. Lastly...
... middle of paper ...
...nts based on ethics and the social response they may receive.
Works Cited
Caga-anan, Carlisse F. "Testing Children for Adult-Onset Genetic Diseases." Testing Children for Adult-Onset Genetic Diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics, 5 Dec. 2011. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. .
Klitzman, Robert, MD. "Virtual Mentor." VM. American Medical Association, Sept. 2009. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. .
Rochman, Bonnie. "Genetic Testing for Kids: Is It a Good Idea?" Time. Time, 18 Apr. 2011. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. .
"Testing Children for Genetic Status." Ama-assn.org. American Medical Association, 1995. Web. 2 Feb. 2014. .
...rrier. There are available tests you can take to determine the possibility of your children receiving the disease.
...ing. Moreover, if a treatment has the possibility of curing a child, but is unproven, even parents (who are eager to prolong the life of their children but lack the technical expertise to properly assess the risks involved) are not permitted to consent to it. Furthermore, Munson proposes that the IRB should be required to include outside experts to assess risks and benefits of experimental treatments.15
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.
Crichton does not like the fact that the cost of these tests is so high. What was once a free test resulted in an expensive test because of the companies who now hold our genes. For instance Crichton (441-442) gives an example of how a Canavan disease that is an inherited disorder affects children starting at 3 months; this often affected their ability to walk or crawl, they also get seizures and eventually they will become paralyzed and die at a young age. Unfortunately there was no test to tell parents if they were at risk, but with their help in starting a research they made a test. These families around the world donated their own tissue and money to help start this research. Eventually the gene was found in 1993, the families, then got the commitment of a New York hospital to offer a free test to anyone who wanted to be tested. However the researcher’s employer, patented the gene and refused to let any doctor provide this test to their patients without having to pay a ton. This made the parents views
When it comes to genetic diseases and conditions, testing can be very helpful and serve a good purpose. People with diseases that are inheritable to their children are encouraged to be tested. For example, in the article about Jewish testing, it says
The Human Genome Project is the largest scientific endeavor undertaken since the Manhattan Project, and, as with the Manhattan Project, the completion of the Human Genome Project has brought to surface many moral and ethical issues concerning the use of the knowledge gained from the project. Although genetic tests for certain diseases have been available for 15 years (Ridley, 1999), the completion of the Human Genome Project will certainly lead to an exponential increase in the number of genetic tests available. Therefore, before genetic testing becomes a routine part of a visit to a doctor's office, the two main questions at the heart of the controversy surrounding genetic testing must be addressed: When should genetic testing be used? And who should have access to the results of genetic tests? As I intend to show, genetic tests should only be used for treatable diseases, and individuals should have the freedom to decide who has access to their test results.
Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence linking genes and disease. The development of predictive genetic tests followed shortly after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a handful of diseases, its effects and ramifications have become hotly debated issues in a wide range of areas, from government to religion. The debate began in the 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The discovery of this gene led to excitement and speculation of developing a predictive genetic test to identify those women at risk for these cancers. In this paper, I will first describe the biology of genetic testing, and then discuss the pros and cons of predictive genetic testing.
... Medicine. 3rd ed. Vol.3. Detroit: Gale, 2006.2139-2141. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 3 Apr. 2014.
Another ethical debate could be the ability to give informed consent. It can be argued that a child cannot fully be aware of what is happening until they reach a certain age (in South Australia, the age of medical consent is 16 years old) and therefore they cannot express their full informed consent for medical procedures until the age of 16 (MIGA, 2011). In any medical procedure, the patient must be informed about any risks and possible complications that may arise during the procedure and must be able to understand these risks and possible
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.
Murphy, Samantha. "Genetic Tests Debate: Is Too Much Info Bad for Your Health?"LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 19 Dec. 2010. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.
Web. The Web. The Web. 1 Apr 2011. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php>.
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.
Parents now have the possibility of testing genes for mutations and genetic problems (BBC News).
(2) Even people that don 't have any disease could be more prepare, and prevent it from developing in the future by being more aware thanks to the genetic test provided. Genetic screening is another valuable technology that could help a parent keep track of their baby 's health by examining their chromosomes. Genetic testing and screening could impact the life all patients in a positive way, therefore the opposing side should be grateful, and take advantage of this opportunities provided. For example, a person goes to genetically test themselves in a clinic, and they come to find out that they could potentially develop heart problems in the future. Now they can be more aware, and prepared. They could in many different ways like changing their diet or exercising more so they could better protect their heart, and decrease the chances of having the heart problems, like they where presented in the genetic test. What if the person didn 't know they had a chance to have problems? and start eating unhealthy foods that could likely speed up their changes of developing a heart disease. My point is that the same thing goes to those parent who want to get a update of their unborn child 's health. Many healthy mother don 't really expect that their pregnancy will bring some implications, but in