Why not order direct-to-consumer genetic testing for your children?
نویسنده
چکیده
Predictive genetic testing in childhood is generally considered morally justified only if there are clear medical benefits to be obtained from testing that cannot be obtained otherwise. In clinical genetics, physicians and genetic counsellors have traditionally acted as gatekeepers against unwarranted genetic testing of children, protecting them against harm and respecting their right not to know genetic information. Today, individuals may access direct-to-consumer online genetic profiling services that lack such systems of control. Companies sometimes encourage their customers to order genetic testing not only for themselves, but also for their children. By purchasing genetic testing for their children, parents are depriving those children of future opportunities for autonomous medical decision-making. In a recent policy-oriented report on medical profiling and online medicine, the authoritative UK-based Nuffield Council on Bioethics slightly overlooks and misrepresents the central ethical issues in childhood testing in four ways.
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