Ethics & genetic testing

1. Ethics & genetic testing When we think of advances in technology we have to consider the affect they will have on society. The decisions we make today can have far reaching consequences. Now that we are able to manipulate child birth and are beginning to unlock the secrets behind genes, we must decide if just because we can do something, should we??

2. Ethics These are a set of principles on how to conduct ourselves based on our morals and values. We each have our own ideas of what is right or wrong and we use these everyday to make decisions. Thinking of what you have learnt so far, you are now going to discuss your beliefs. Do you believe it is right or wrong?

3. An area for debate is what genetic disorders can a baby be tested for during pregnancy. Pregnant women are routinely offered screening for genetic disorders such as Down's syndrome, but there is concern about the growing number of tests. Last year doctors aborted a foetus beyond 24 weeks' gestation because the mother, taking advice from doctors, did not want a baby with a cleft palate. A cleft palate is not life threatening and usually is only a cosmetic concern. So should a foetus be aborted because they may look slightly different from other children even though they are healthy? Or are we saving the child from the torment of bullying due to its differing looks?

4. Where do we draw the line about what is an imperfection and what is disease and disability? "This raises crucial questions about to what extent our genetic make-up will determine our future lives. This is something that society has to decide, using these techniques, who should live and who shouldn't," Helen Wallace of the science policy group Genewatch.org

5. "At the heart of the issue is where do we, as a society, strike a balance between individual needs and wants and the wider social consequences of the decisions we make.” Baroness Helena Kennedy, chair of the Human Genetics Commission, There is controversy over issues such as ‘Designer babies’, using siblings to ‘save’ others and what laws there should be. As the future generation these decisions will be made by you and affect your lives.

6. Pro-life people believe that human life begins the moment the sperm fertilises the egg (conception). This means that every unsuitable embryo that is disposed of is a person who is killed. If you believe that life begins at conception the technique is morally wrong. Is it possible to tell what genes will be useful to future generations? If we begin to ensure no-one is born with the gene for Sickle Cell Anaemia, we lose the protection it provides from being infected with Malaria, an even worse disease.

7. Is it right for people to choose their child’s appearance on a whim of fashion? Imagine a class of five-year-olds where half the boys have David Beckham’s cheekbones! If everyone has the same genes, rather than a range of genes, then the whole population could be wiped out by a new disease. With a range of genes, some people could be naturally resistant to the infection.

8. Are we……………….. ……… interfering with nature? ……….going against God’s will? ………trying to do the best for the next generation using techniques available? ……… developing useful new techniques but they need regulation? …………. making a fuss over nothing, these are just media scare stories You decide

9. My personal views and my views for society differ. I think it should only be done for medical terms. But I know if it was my child I might think differently. Education is important because you need to educate people that not every genetic illness is a prison sentence. Saviour siblings - the danger of seeing the saviour as a possession or loving them more than the ‘non - saviour’ worries me. I no longer fear ‘ Designer babies’: the media stereotype of blond hair and blue eyes. Citizens’ jury opinions c/o Techniquest.org

10. Your views