Journal Four - Genetic Testing: Beneficial or Unethical? What if you had the choice to abort a fetus you knew would be born with brown colored eyes because you would rather have a hazel-eyed child instead, or you could choose to keep a fetus who would grow up to be six feet tall instead of five feet tall? What if the fetus was found to have a medical condition called Anencephaly in which parts of the brain are missing, and the baby would not live long after it was born. What decision would you make then? It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, and in fact there is one called “GATTACA,” which told about a future with the very situation of selecting only exceptional-gene fetuses to carry to term. For us, genetic testing finally …show more content…
These tests could be helpful to those who want the knowledge of their child’s possible medical future. However, there is the possibility of a “false positive” result, which means the person tested does not really have the genetic marker for the illness, and that the test should have been a negative (Washington). People would have incorrect information to base a critical decision on. Equally important is the fact that a child may never actually become ill with the disease their genetic make-up indicates. If one is unsure as to the outcome, what are the possible choices to make? Which leads to the question of abortion. Is it okay to abort the fetus, and if so, under what conditions? Consider if there is a chance the child will not become ill with the disease once it is born, or in the case of a false positive, who makes that …show more content…
In Marilynn Marchione’s viewpoint, it is acknowledged that testing can educate women, and give them more insight about their fetus, and potential health problems the fetus could have. While, Harriet A. Washington admits testing could provide potential parent(s) awareness about what to expect if a fetus is born with a medical problem. This shows an agreement towards the acceptance of genetic testing, yet there is also the consideration of health findings. Parents have been given the results of the genetic testing, and were allowed to make their own decisions based on the data (Biba). While others argue about who truly has the right to this protected information (Washington). This also brings up the question about extended family members. Since this is genetic material, should the potential grandma and/or grandpa know about health issues to pass on to other potential aunts, and uncles who may be starting families as well? (Washington) These are valid questions which should be addressed by both points of view on this issue. A beginning compromise could be to allow the mother and father to make the decisions about who else is to be informed. If an agreement cannot be reached by both parties, then the healthcare professionals should not allow anyone else outside of the health care setting, access to private genetic information. Finally we come to the topic of abortion. The idea of abortion