The Pros And Cons Of Genetic Counseling

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Genetic counseling has become more common in society for multiple reasons. Optimizing health, advice, and support, and providing alternative fertility options. Recently, genetic counseling has developed an additional direction that is linked to eugenics. This association between genetic counseling and eugenics is being analyzed from an ethical perspective and discusses the justifications for seeking genetic counseling. Genetic counseling can be performed at various levels in the conception process: preconception, preimplantation, prenatal, and postnatal. Initially, genetic counseling was meant to give insight to prospective or current parents on the genetic probabilities that both individuals are predisposing their child or potential child to. Hereditary diseases can cause suffering for both the parents and the child. Eugenics plays a role in genetic counseling during the preconception/postnatal and preimplantation phases by offering alternatives to traditional conception tactics such as in vitro and artificial insemination after being informed of the genetic probabilities for the fetus. Prenatal counseling requires amniocentesis, which tests the amniotic fluid of the uterine cavity. Eugenics can be translated as “good birth” with its foundation …show more content…

There is a common reoccurrence in the article that depicts both the positives and negatives of genetic counseling. The positive justifications were supported associated with beneficence and the negative justifications were associated with autonomy. Beneficence states that “we should do good to others and avoid doing them harm”. Genetic counseling for preventative measures is justifiable because the intentions are mostly for a purpose that is better for the family. Parents are trying to maximize the quality of life that their child can live with an equal chance if satisfaction and