Pros And Cons Of Prenatal Testing

Whether to offer prenatal testing is quite a controversial topic as it involves a lot of ethical aspects that need to be considered carefully. One of the ethical implication that should be considered is the emotional and psychological impacts of prenatal testing faced by the parents while undergoing the tests, receiving the results and planning on what should be done. One advantage of prenatal genetic testing is that it is way to give the parents especially the pregnant women some control over their pregnancies, respecting and increasing their autonomy to choose the kinds of children they will bear (Hill, 1986). It may be a means of reassuring women that could enhance their experience of pregnancy (Royal College of Physicians, 1989) by providing a way to avoid the family distress and

Dixson (1981) found that one-third of the women surveyed remained uncertain at the time results were received. Also, at times the abnormality diagnosed prenatally, whether by chromosomal analysis, ultrasound, or specific genetic testing, is one for which the implications and prognosis are unclear. Thus, if a woman chooses to continue her pregnancy, anxiety about the outcome may be heightened; and if she elects termination of the pregnancy, she may wonder whether her decision was the "right" one.Another problem to be considered is that the decisions a woman is required to make regarding prenatal genetic testing can be very stressful ones for her and for her partner. For many couples this stress comes at a time especially when their relationship is already being redefined by the expectation of a child. If the fetus is affected by a genetic disorder, the woman and her partner may also feel different about the prospect of abortion and these differences may impact a couple's relationship far into the future, regardless of the decision they ultimately